ABOUT MARLA
How I Work
Hello, and welcome to my website. I hope you will get a sense of who I am and how I think about my work from looking at these pages.
This is the difference between a direct experience of yourself vs. talking about yourself
I am interested in working with people who are tired of the way things have been and want to see change beyond the immediate crisis that brought them here. Years of doing insight-oriented “talking therapy” has taught me that insight alone is often not enough. People sometimes say “I know why I’m doing it, but it doesn’t seem to help”, so my goal is to help you have an experience of yourself in the moment vs. talking about yourself.
I use a relational experiential approach, and an awareness of Attachment issues, both in your life, and in the therapy relationship. This way of working invites the added awareness of somatic sensations, and emotional experiences felt in the body. Processing these experiences with another can allow for new information that might have otherwise been left untapped and allows for an accelerated experience of core change. People who feel they are “stuck” in their head often say this way of working helps them to go deeper and access emotions they would otherwise still be talking about.
I am highly trained, passionate about my work, and committed to my clients. You will find me down to earth, authentic, very much “myself”, and although I am not authoritative, I can be a strong presence for people, standing up for them when they aren’t able to stand up for themselves. I am warm, interactive and quiet where necessary, observant, curious about your experience, thoughtful, intuitive and not afraid to be wrong. I sometimes think aloud with you and ask for your input.
I can be irreverent and feel humor is a very important connection. I am very open and comfortable talking about any subject, including things you may feel are difficult to bring up, and I’m sensitive to feelings of shame, embarrassment, or shyness. I welcome an interactive relationship that includes your input into our work.
How I Think About Therapy
Passionate. Authentic. Strong.
I believe that people flourish in an atmosphere of compassion and safety, finding a place to speak/feel what has not been able to be spoken/felt. Through this process of exploration known as “therapy”, clients get to know themselves more deeply, have more compassion for themselves and others, and discover new ways of being in the world. Therapy is a mutually constructed relationship within which you come to know yourself in a new way.
Down to Earth
Hopeful outcomes are a deeper sense of acceptance of self and others, deeper, more fulfilling relationships, a strong sense of balance, and ability to navigate change, even when things don’t go well. I believe a truly authentic therapeutic relationship can facilitate a shift in the way you experience relationship in general – with yourself, your partner, friends, co-workers, children, etc.
Areas of Exploration
- Loneliness, alienation, difficulty expressing feelings, needs, desires
- Shyness, shame, guilt, embarrassment.
- Effects of childhood abuse/trauma/PTSD
- Effects of growing up with narcissistic parents
- Relationship issues, couples counseling
- Intimacy and attachment issues
- Sex addiction or sexual compulsivity
- Compulsive behavior with TV, computer, shopping
- Sexuality issues, sexual orientation
- Spiritual exploration
Neglect, emotional, physical and sexual abuse, family chaos Political, Religious or Cults, Acute trauma from one time events or ongoing chronic trauma. This includes medical events as well as other trauma.
Attachment styles are determined in early childhood and can affect everything in our life – how we relate to ourselves and others. Read More
Areas of Special Interest
I have worked with people from all kinds of spiritual and religious backgrounds: Christian, Buddhist/Taoist, Jewish, Mormon, Jehovah’s Witness, Pagan, atheists and agnostics. I have a special interest in working with adults whose families were very religious, political, hippies, lived on a commune, or in a cult.
I welcome people with diverse sexual backgrounds - straight, gay, bi, polyamorous and those in the Kink community.
Training and Credentials
Formal Education and Training
I hold an MA degree in Integral Counseling Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco, California. “Integral” refers to the concept of integration of “the religious, mythic and symbolic philosophies of ancient traditions with the empirical, analytic paradigms of modern science.” It represents the idea of the whole person: body, mind, and spirit.
I have been seeing clients since 1990, and am trained and experienced in a variety of areas, including assessment and treatment of issues related to compulsive behaviors, sex addiction, eating disorders, women's issues, sexual orientation and alternative sexuality, depression and anxiety, relationship issues, and couples therapy. I was trained by Pat Carnes at the Meadows in 1999 for Sex Addiction. I completed the Level II training in EMDR, and have continued my study of EMDR with advanced specialized training. In 2003 I completed a six-month training in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy to facilitate my understanding of trauma in the body. In 2004 I completed an intensive in Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy, my current interest. I will be continuing to deepen this work over the coming years. In addition I have specialized training in Clinical Supervision of licensed and unlicensed counselors and psychotherapists.