I have over 20 years experience in the mental health field. I specialize in trauma (EMDR-Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing),anxiety, anger management, depression, dreamwork, play therapy, PCIT (Parent-Child Interactive Therapy) for children with challenging behaviors like hitting, kicking, biting, defiance etc. and attachemt therapy. I work well with adolescents and people of all ages. I use mindfulness techniques, including DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy) and EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) and EFT (Emotion Focused (couples) Therapy). I work well with people of color and lgbt.

I have over 20 years experience in the mental health field. I specialize in trauma (EMDR-Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing),anxiety, anger management, depression, dreamwork, play therapy, PCIT (Parent-Child Interactive Therapy) for children with challenging behaviors like hitting, kicking, biting, defiance etc. and attachemt therapy. I work well with adolescents and people of all ages. I use mindfulness techniques, including DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy) and EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) and EFT (Emotion Focused (couples) Therapy). I work well with people of color and lgbt.

I have been in private practice since 2002 working with individuals, couples, and families. In particular, I work with people struggling with relational, emotional, and physical health issues that make it difficult for them to succeed in dealing with eating disorders, addictions, and in relationships. I believe in each person's ability to make changes that can significantly improve their life and relationships with others. My clients pick up on this belief and make changes they were never able to do so in the past. I want to help you find hope and experience new levels of health in your relationship with your self and with others.

I am a interactive therapist. I am not a passive listener and reflector. My goal is to help you move from being stuck into looking at your problems with a new perspective. This will give you options; when you are stuck you do not see options. I have a spiritual practice which includes prayer, meditation, and movement therapy. I am not airy-fairy. I am very practical in my approach. I will challenge you and ask difficult questions and give you homework to work on between sessions. My approach is solution oriented. I do not spend a lot of time delving into the past but stay in the now. Encouraging good choices and good decision making for a happier more contented life. I also believe you need to take 100% responsibility for your life. This will keep you away from feeling like a victim in your relationships.

Providing compassionate and strength based therapy for couples, individuals, teens, children and families. Sierra's approach centers much around EMOTIONALLY FOCUSED COUPLES THERAPY and IMAGO. Both of these concepts are based on attachement theory. We work with couples to discover the reasons behind their reactions (anger, fear, distance, etc) and discover more effective ways to meet each others needs through positive emotional attachment (non-violent communication, re-attachment, growing together and helping one another discover and heal unmet needs and previous emotional wounds). Sierra offers family therapy both in home and in our office in Grass Valley, Nevada City, Auburn, Colfax and Roseville. Family systems counseling suggests that therapy based on family-systems principles is more likely to produce desired lasting change than working solely with individuals. The goal of family therapy is for family members to understand and accept their individual responsibility in the emotional functioning of the family unit.