For us, truly, there are no "surroundings."

I can lose my hands and still live. I can lose my legs and still live. I can lose my eyes and still live. . . . But if I lose the air I die. If I lose the sun I die. If I lose the earth I die. If I lose the water I die. If I lose the plants and animals I die. All of these things are more a part of me, more essential to my every breath, than is my so-called body. What is my real body?

We are not autonomous, self-sufficient beings as European mythology teaches. . . . We are rooted just like the trees. But our roots come out of our nose and mouth, like an umbilical cord, forever connected with the rest of the world. . . .

Nothing that we do, do we do by ourselves. We do not see by ourselves. We do not hear by ourselves. . . . We do not think, dream, invent, or procreate by ourselves. We do not die by ourselves. . . .

I am a point of awareness, a circle of consciousness, in the midst of a series of circles. One circle is that which we call “the body.” It is a universe itself, full of millions of little living creatures living their own “separate” but dependent lives. . . . But all of these “circles” are not really separate—they are all mutually dependent upon each other.

                                              - Jack D. Forbes  

Have you ever had a moment, conversation, or even a look that gave made you feel felt? That felt sense of connection is what Resonance Therapy, LLC is based on. Too often, we are forced to stay on the surface level or simply don't know how to connect on a more meaningful level--perhaps because we were taught to; perhaps because of trauma; or maybe because we are afraid someone will abandon/make fun of/misunderstand us. Resonance is about feeling accompanied, being seen, heard, and mostly, felt, throughout the healing process. I don't believe in the individualistic, Euro-centric view that therapists or other providers "bestow" skills or somehow facilitate changes in others without some sort of change to themselves. Resonance is a two-way street; my liberation and healing is connected to yours. Much like trees who communicate underground through their roots, our neurobiology is designed to be connected with each other so that we may survive and thrive in this uncertain world. Whether you're just starting therapy for the first time or already on your healing journey, I'm glad you're here. Let's connect.

I am a mixed race, cisgender, queer woman of color; my ancestors are from Mexico, the Punjab region in India, Germany, and England. I was born in the central coast of California where diversity was commonplace, and split my time between there and in small, rural white towns in southern Oregon as one of very few families of color and even fewer mixed-race families. I moved around a lot both as a child and an adult and have lived in southern California, the Bay Area, and the southwest area of New Mexico before settling here in Portland, Oregon. Additionally, there was not a lot of language or visibility to talk about gender or sexuality in culturally-specific ways; many times, I had to split my time between different affirming groups (i.e. being with other people of color to talk about race; being with other queer/LGBTQ circles to talk about gender and sexuality, etc.) in order to get my needs met. In many ways, I have always battled feeling culturally and geographically dislocated and unsettled, which taught me about living in between, embracing the gray, and normalizing discomfort when it came to my identities.

I am a clinical social work associate (CSWA) through the Oregon Board of Licensed Social Workers. I am a relational therapist and my background and training include intimate partner violence, sexual trauma, narcissistic abuse, adults who experienced abuse as children, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Post Traumatic Growth, and racial trauma. I specialize in working with people of color and gender and sexual minorities.

My practice incorporates elements of Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB), Narrative Therapy, Anti-Oppressive Practice, and attachment theory. One primary belief I operate from is that safety is the intervention (Bonnie Badenoch). I specialize in working with multiracial people of color and monoracial people of color who were transracially adopted and/or raised by white parents. My approach also focuses on the intersection of race with other identities, such as gender, sexuality, socioeconomic status, and location.