About Erika
My work is strength based, collaborative, and focused on what is happening in the room in real time in order to identify the patterns, dynamics, and behaviors that may be keeping you stuck while creating opportunities for meaningful change.
My work is centered on understanding relationships, family systems, attachment, trauma, and the patterns that shape how we connect with one another.
About Me
My primary specialty is couples, relationships, and family therapy, with more than 20 years of experience understanding the patterns that shape how we connect with one another. I have extensive experience working with high-conflict couples and families, integrating an understanding of attachment, family systems, trauma, emotional regulation, and relational patterns to help clients recognize what is happening beneath the surface, develop practical skills, and create meaningful, lasting change.
My specialized couples therapy training includes Level 3 Gottman Method Couples Therapy and PACT (Psychobiological Approach to Couples Therapy) Level 1. My work is also informed by Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and Imago Relationship Therapy, which emphasize attachment, emotional connection, communication, and relational patterns. I integrate these perspectives with approaches such as Internal Family Systems (IFS), EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to tailor treatment to each couple’s or individual’s unique needs.
In addition to specializing in couples and family therapy, I work with individuals, adolescents, and young adults navigating concerns such as anxiety, depression, trauma, grief and loss, parenting challenges, substance use and recovery, anger management, life transitions, and relationship difficulties.
I take an active, collaborative approach to therapy, grounded in the belief that meaningful change requires commitment, dedication, and a willingness to develop greater self-awareness. My work focuses on identifying patterns that may be keeping you stuck and creating opportunities for new ways of relating to yourself and others. Each person, couple, or family brings a unique history and set of circumstances, so treatment is tailored accordingly rather than based on a single therapeutic model.
My broader clinical background includes advanced training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Mindfulness, Traumatic Grief-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Seeking Safety, Motivational Interviewing, Narrative Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, and addiction and recovery. I am also an Anderson Certified Anger Management Facilitator, a Certified Domestic Violence Counselor, and certified as a premarital and marriage counselor through Prepare/Enrich. My clinical approach is informed by the work of leading experts in family systems, attachment, relationships, trauma, and emotional regulation, including John Gottman, Sue Johnson, Murray Bowen, and Salvador Minuchin.
I am licensed by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences as a Marriage and Family Therapist. I earned a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University, Santa Barbara, and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with an emphasis in Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.
Ultimately, therapy is about more than simply reducing symptoms. It is about developing a deeper understanding of yourself and your relationships, recognizing patterns that no longer serve you, and having the willingness to do something different. My goal is to inspire you to create more stable, connected relationships and a life that feels aligned with who you are and what matters most.