About Me

Photo by Lacey Bediz

I came to somatic and spiritual counseling from my own difficult path to embodiment. The granddaughter of Auschwitz survivors, I grew up with a pervasive sense of fear and anxiety, and I never felt safe to be in my body. Although I had always been an artistic and creative child, I moved more and more to locating myself in the cognitive realm, at the great expense of having a felt sense of myself, of my ancestors, and of spirit.

After struggling for some time to force myself into an academic mold, I experienced a “rock bottom” in my mid-twenties that propelled me on a different path. I found my way back to Judaism through the doors of a Renewal synagogue in San Francisco, and later through the rich community of Kohenet. I entered Jungian analysis and began to listen to my dreams, and to my grief. I started to reclaim my connection to intuition, heart-knowing, art, poetry, and movement.

I decided to leave my PhD program in Comparative Literature and go to graduate school for Counseling Psychology. Since then, my passion for psychology (the study of Psyche—or soul) has continued to deepen. My interests (and insatiable curiosity!) encompass polyvagal theory, the science/art of love and attachment, somatic psychology, bodywork, intergenerational trauma, a wide range of holistic healing modalities, the world of dreams and imagery, and the exploration of many forms of spiritual practices.

As a spiritual counselor and somatic practitioner, my kavanah, or heart’s direction, is to offer support in the deeper sensing of “God in the body.” To walk with you as you cultivate a felt sense of connection to your self, your loved ones and community, ancestors, spirit, and the more-than-human world. To be a companion and a guide through some of the more shadowy realms—those of shame, wounding, rage, or grief. To help you become curious about your inner experience and the vast wisdom that your body holds.

To best be of service in my work (and because I’m obsessed with mind-body healing!), I’m committed to ongoing education, mentorship, and professional development. My training and background includes:

  • An MA in Counseling Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute, focusing on Marriage and Family Therapy from a Jungian and depth psychology perspective

  • An MA in Comparative Literature from UC Berkeley

  • Ordination through the Kohenet Hebrew Priestess Institute, an organization dedicated to earth-based spirituality and to revitalizing Judaism through the gifts of women spiritual leaders

  • Certified NeuroAffective Touch® practitioner, a neurologically informed modality that bridges psychotherapy and touch for body-mind integration

  • Certificate in Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy

  • Certificate in Somatic Attachment Therapy

  • Certificate in Somatic Stress Release, level 1

  • Ongoing study of Saphire® Imagery with Catherine Shainberg at the School of Images

  • Served as school counselor at the Hawthorne Valley Waldorf School

  • Waldorf pedagogy and child development courses in various Waldorf training programs

  • Emotionally Focused Therapy, externship level

  • Certified provider of the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) developed by Dr. Stephen Porges to restore nervous system regulation and social engagement through the use of music

  • Trained with Ana du Valle in her SEGAN Mosaic of Healing, which combines the SSP with anthroposophy, art, Somatic Experiencing, and sensory integration

  • Certified Havening Techniques® practitioner

  • Reiki Master–level practitioner in the Usui lineage

I’m also:

An educator with over a decade of experience, primarily in Waldorf, experimental, and progressive education, where I’ve had the opportunity to share embodied writing practices, guided imagery and meditation, and/or health and wellness education with students from middle school to college;

An editor who’s worked with the Inverness Almanac, the New Farmer’s Almanac, the Dark Mountain Project, North Atlantic Books, and Princeton Architectural Press on topics such as herbalism, yoga, somatic therapy, art, ecology, and spirituality;

A writer who is the author of The Mind-Body Guide to the Twelve Steps: Finding Joy, Sensuality, and Pleasure in Recovery; a poetry book, At the Edge of the Dirac Sea; two chapbooks, À Luz and Leaving the Lecture on Dance; and a children's book, Tall Oak and Small Owl;

And, since 2016, a fellow at the Yiddish Book Center’s Wexler Oral History Project.

Also, I love cats, and I’m always up for a good dance party.