American River Family Counseling  (ARFC) was created to meet the needs of all families, regardless of how they are created.  In my own life, I have been fortunate to work with families from diverse backgrounds, spiritual beliefs and circumstances.  I created ARFC because I believe that everyone deserves to live in a happy and connected family.

After receiving my Master’s Degree in Counseling from San Diego State University, interning in a number of family centered non-profit organizations and running my own preschool and child care center, I later moved to Northern California where I became a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist.

Over the past 32 years, as I have grown as a therapist, honing my skills and developing my practice, I continued to see similar relationship struggles with so many of my clients. Their relationship challenges occurred in the context of marriages, families, partnerships, parenting, and even their peer groups. I know now that it doesn’t have to be this way!

At ARFC I work with individuals, couples, families, within the context of relationships. I utilize a family systems and attachment focused approach based on creating safety and emotional resiliency. I utilize treatment approaches that incorporate various evidenced informed and evidenced based treatments depending on the individualized needs of the client(s) I am working with.

I specialize in working with all members of the adoption-kinship network, including adoptees, adopted parents and siblings and birth parents. Please see our Adoption services page for more information.