I am a lover of the natural world and spend most of my free time in the ocean or mountains of Santa Barbara, CA.
I completed my Bachelor's degree at Wheaton College with a major in Sociology, and my Master's in Counseling Psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute. I entered the field of Psychology as a Field Guide with teens, young adults, and families, at Open Sky Wilderness Therapy, a 3-month intensive therapy backpacking program. I continued my journey working with male teens in transition, at New Summit Academy in Costa Rica.
Locally, I have worked as a therapist with all ages & backgrounds at New Beginning Counseling Center, as a School Therapist in the ERMHS program at Santa Barbara Unified with adolescents of all ages, as a Residential Therapist at Casa Serena Dual-Diagnosis Rehab and Substance Abuse Center for Women, and as an Intensive Family Services Therapist at CALM serving youth and families.
Certification in Somatic Psychotherapy
Approved by the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC)
EMDR Consulting Trained
Approved by EMDRIA
EMDR Beyond Basics Refresher Course
Approved by EMDRIA
Trauma compromises our ability to engage with others by replacing patterns of connection with patterns of protection.
— Deb Dana