Aging & Illness
Managing Aging and
Illness-Related Needs:
From Support to Strategies
Aging is riddled with pitfalls that can feel like an assault on the mind and body, and require a lot of support to maximize effective daily functioning with a sense of emotional well-being, dignity, and meaning. The inevitable obstacles, illnesses, and losses can stack up quickly and leave patients and family feeling unmoored, uncertain, fearful, and alone. This process of aging is complex and sometimes it feels overwhelming.
The intention of my work is to improve your daily functioning and emotional well-being, to help you find dignity and meaning, and clarity about what matters to you even with the distress and heartache that comes with one of life’s most challenging times.
Aging, life-threatening illness, and disease progression can bring a profound burden on both the physical and psychological health of patients, and some patients will experience related psychological disorders including anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Neglecting these mental health concerns can have negative consequences that affect not only treatment but all aspects of life. Patients can navigate better, both emotionally and physically, when they have emotional, mental health, and strategic supports in addition to their medical care. Family members and caregivers too, can benefit from support for the emotional, physical, and financial stresses that impact their own lives and well-being.
Services
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Counseling
I provide counseling to address functional limitations and loss of autonomy, cognitive changes, sensory impairments, and adaptation to decline and disability. I address grief, anger, uncertainty, identity, and body image tied to changing or declining health. Family members and caregivers are provided assistance if desired, including assistance for family communication, problem-solving, and planning.
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Therapy
I provide therapy for medical trauma and PTSD caused by diagnosis, treatment, procedures, hospital stays, and prognosis. I treat anxiety and depression related to the distress of diagnosis, test results, pain, fear of pain, fear of cancer recurrence, feelings of isolation, disease progression, and thoughts of death or suicide. I also work with family members and caregivers with mental health struggles made worse by the circumstances.
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Pain and Stress Management
I teach patients nervous system regulation techniques to help lower the physiological impact of chronic pain, fatigue, sleep disturbance, and treatment side effects. I use relaxation training, qi gong, guided imagery, and other mind-body techniques. I teach my patients coping techniques and skills to help them become more resilient and experience a higher quality of life with less distress.
Care Management
I support for a number of needs which may include connecting patients to services and resources, communicating with medical teams and other professionals, serving as a liaison with family members who live at a distance, providing weekly or occasional home visits to patients, assisting with forms such as Advanced Directives and Durable Power of Attorney, and making attorney referrals for consultation when needed.
What You Can Expect
You can expect that I will always show up with professionalism, confidentiality, kindness, and discretion. From my many years working in aging and illness, I have developed a model that draws from the unique strengths and qualities of each patient and family, and I support you to create a path to as much comfort, meaning, and dignity as possible. I offer home visits, virtual visits, and visits to my office in the North Park area of San Diego, or any combination that works for you. I prefer in-person visits because I like to relate to patients while sitting in the same room, but I understand that flexibility is needed.
Based on a comprehensive needs assessment which I will complete at your residence, I will create a care plan to address challenges, patient and family wishes, concerns, and goals. I will propose a plan which will likely include some combination of counseling, individual therapy, family therapy, mediation, crisis counseling, psychoeducation, grief counseling, and the more day-to-day strategic matters of care management.
For more detail about me and information about my experience and qualifications, please refer to the main section of my website.
Please reach out for more information about service and fees.
Qualifications
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in good standing with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. License #118086.
Psychotherapist in private practice since 2024.
Hospice social worker for 7 years
Oncology social worker for 2 years
Counselor and health educator in aging research for 15 years at the Stanford University School of Medicine Disease Prevention Center.
Advanced clinical training and coursework in mental health and older adults.
25 years experience as an instructor and practitioner of Qi Gong, Tai Chi, gentle and adaptive Yoga, and Yoga Nidra.
Master of Social Work from San Jose State University, Master of Art from the Monterey Institute of International Studies, Bachelor of Art in Political Science/International Relations from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
