Welcome to Shea Counseling

A desire to better understand human life experiences, coupled with witnessing the healing process first hand, aided in the decision to devote myself to a career as a therapist. I have worked in the counseling field for the past 30 years. I have been in private practice for 22 years.

My background includes drug and alcohol counseling, parent consultation, behavioral therapy for children with special needs or difficult behaviors, couples therapy, premarital therapy and individual adult therapy.

I believe in happy, positive, lifelong relationships. Whether you are an individual adult seeking support or a couple that needs to re-kindle your love, together, we can explore your struggles, gain insight and create change. The purpose of psychotherapy is to find a confidential, non-judgmental place to talk about sensitive issues.

My ultimate goal is to offer a safe, therapeutic environment, which allows the opportunity to explore your own life and create room for healing. By allowing this space, I believe individuals can begin to develop a greater understanding of themselves and ultimately find more peace.

Credentials and Affiliations

Educational Background

Sonoma State University- BA Psychology, May 1998
Sonoma State University- MA in Marriage and Family Therapy, May 2002

Experience

5 years as a residential treatment counselor for children ages 7-17.
Drug and alcohol counselor for Sonoma County Developmental Corporation for 2 years.
Para-educator for 4 years at Behavioral Counseling and Research Center working in the school setting for
children diagnosed with Autism, ADD, ADHD, SED, depression and a variety of developmental delays.
8 years as a behavioral consultant at Behavioral Counseling and Research Center for families and children in the school and home environments. These children have a variety of diagnoses including: Autism, ADD, ADHD, SED, CP, Depression and other developmental delays. Attended IEP meetings, conducted Functional Analysis Assessment, wrote Positive Behavior Support Plans.
1 year Marriage and family therapy intern at SSU Community Counseling Center.
2 years Marriage and family therapy intern in private practice under supervision of Mark Doolittle.
2006 Licensed Marriage and family therapist in Private Practice

Workshops and Training

Dr. Carl Schrader: Applied Behavioral Analysis (1998)
Mark Levine M.S. B.C.B.A. L.P.C. N.C.C: Teaching children with Autism (2000)
Dr. Carl Schrader: Assessment and behavior intervention plan development (2001)
Dr. Dean J.M. Mooney presented by Dr. James Loomis: Social Skills Training (2003)
Prepare/enrich program training (2006)
Dr. Carl Schrader: Assessment and behavior intervention plan development (2007)
Smart Marriages 12th annual happy families conference (2008)
Summit Eating Disorder 7th annual conference (2009)
The Art and Science of Love Couples Workshop. (Gottman method, couples therapy) (2010)
Theory & Techniques of Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing – Part I & II. Phil Manfield, PhD (2011)
PACT Level I training in 2014 and PACT level II training in 2015 with Stan Tatkin.

Special Interests

Adult individual therapy
Couples therapy
Premarital therapy or preparing for marriage
Children (behavioral/special needs)
Parent education
EMDR
Christian counseling