The vision of Redwood Counseling

Before becoming a therapist, I trained and worked as an Ecologist.  I had the opportunity to study complex systems in nature - oceans, forests, and the interconnected webs of plants and animals living therein.  I always found it fascinating to observe life thriving in some of the harshest environments on our planet.

Resiliency, the ability to recover from adversity, is something I noticed as an ecologist studying the natural world, and that I find even more evident in my therapy work.  While we may at times feel hopeless, defeated, or broken beyond repair, there is always a spark of growth and resiliency deep within.  We may need a little help to find it, and that is where therapy can come in.  

Redwood trees are a wonderful example of resiliency in nature, and the guiding image of my therapy practice.  Bearing the scientific name of Sequoia sempervirens (meaning “always living”), redwood trees have an astonishing ability to re-sprout from dormant buds if they become broken or damaged. 

Redwood forests are also comprised of trees with shallow root systems that interweave with those of the trees around them, creating a lovely image of relationships and community that guides my work with couples and families. 

Redwoods also connect me to my roots - both as a former Ecologist and former (and now again current) resident of California.  As a therapist, I continue to carry with me my scientific training.  There are many approaches therapists may use, and I have specifically chosen to train in those that are evidence-based, meaning that they are backed up by research support.  These include EMDR, and Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy. 

Finally, redwoods are some of the most visually striking trees I have encountered.  To me, they beg to be portrayed with the arts.  Among other therapy techniques, Redwood Counseling offers Expressive Arts Therapy as a way to access emotions and thoughts that may be difficult to put into words.  This can be especially helpful for survivors of trauma that has taken place during childhood, before our complex verbal skills were developed.   

With the natural world as our guiding image, Redwood Counseling creates a space to nurture your inner resiliency in an environment where research, nature, and the arts can be a guide for wherever your healing journey needs to take you.