About Me

I work with parents* of adolescent and young adult children who struggle with substance use and related challenges.

Caring for a young person who uses drugs and/or alcohol can be fraught with emotions such as worry, anger, fear, shame and hopelessness.  It can be depleting on many levels, even debilitating at times.

Given the role that family can (and should) play in a loved one’s recovery, I believe it’s vital to stay in relationship with the young person who’s actively using.  To that end, I help parents navigate challenging circumstances without resorting to outdated concepts such as tough love, detachment and “rock bottom.”  In therapy, clients discover how to stay connected to their children while meeting their own needs through problem solving, boundaries and self-care.  It’s a compassionate approach that, based on research, is more likely to result in change and healing.

I am a licensed clinical social worker with specialized training in CRAFT (Community Reinforcement and Family Training), an evidence-based intervention for families of loved ones with substance use disorder/addiction.  I have extensive experience working with families of youth in Portland who experience complex mental health and/or substance use needs.  In addition to CRAFT, I bring other clinical applications to my work including acceptance and commitment therapy, motivational interviewing, collaborative problem solving and nonviolent communication. And as part of my commitment to social change, I engage in grassroots advocacy to address the addiction crisis in Oregon.

 * Parents, guardians and other caring adults