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Personal counseling for life's journey . . . Specialties/Services Grief and Loss - Loss is an integral part of life and something that each of us experiences, from little daily losses to the catastrophic ones. Grief is a natural and normal response to loss, yet this process is not always honored in a culture that would have us "get on with it" as soon as we can. For me, grief is universal and a sacred process which has its own rhythm and timing. The attunement and presence of another to those deep places within us can allow this process to unfold in its own right time. Life Transitions - At every age, we face life tasks that present the next step on our life journey. These may include leaving our parents' home, entering relationships and beginning a family, moving into new careers, saying goodbye to older children as they leave home, ending relationships, caring for elderly parents. Letting go of old roles and taking on new ones can stir up some uncomfortable emotions, including fear, anxiety, discouragement, sadness, even excitement. Sometimes negative self-thinking can present an obstacle as we move into the new. I am available to facilitate your work with life transitions and the thoughts, feelings, and obstacles that may arise. Eating Disorders - In a diet-crazy culture in which the value of a particular body image is glorified to the exclusion of all the characteristics which make up a human being, some women (and occasionally men) get caught up in dangerous and isolating eating disorder behavior (starving, purging, bingeing.) For many reasons--cultural, biochemical, psychological--it can be extremely difficult to break out of this trap. Eating disorders, however, can be life-threatening, and tend to make the focus and scope of a person's life extremely narrow and isolated. Using cognitive-behavioral, emotion regulation, and interpersonal skills, as well as psychoeducation and process, I am available to help you break from this trap and to move into the greater expanse of your life. Relationships - We long to connect and to feel connected, but often do not have the skills and tools to do this successfully. How do we come to sabotage that which we care so deeply about? Often, in our closest, intimate relationships, we live what we learned in our families, especially from our primary caregivers. If anger was uncontained and unsafe, if it was unacceptable to ask for what we needed, if being a pleaser was valued, we bring those experiences into our adult relationships. If we are afraid of abandonment in response to childhood wounds, we may tend to cling too tightly to another. If, however, we felt engulfed by our primary caregiver(s) as children, we may tend to withdraw and remain aloof. In addition, most of us do not learn how to listen deeply and be present to each other.
"... very insightful and able to restate problems in ways that provide skills and tools to change behaviors and promote healing. I don't know what I would have done without her caring and expertise." About Maggie I come from a long family tradition of social justice. These values impacted me from a very early age and without a doubt played a part in my choice of profession.
West Hedding Office 1032 West Hedding St. Moorpark Office 4020 Moorpark Ave. Suite 204 408-884-1909
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