IFS-informed Counseling
Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS), also called Parts Work, is a non-pathologizing, systems-oriented healing model that works with Parts, or subpersonalities, to heal inner relationships and restore unity.
IFS is a healing approach that is effective for working with trauma, attachment wounds, eating disorders, addictions, anxiety, depression, spiritual topics, and more.
I integrate IFS into my primary healing methodologies, which are counseling and expressive arts therapy.
My IFS-informed counseling is for people who want to heal through talk, light experiential somatic exercises, and active imagination primarily.
Expressive Arts Therapy
EXA is a fun, playful, and potent creative approach to healing. It unites all of the individual creative arts therapies. Dance & movement, music, art, drama, and writing can all be part of an expressive arts therapy session.
The purpose of EXA is not only to heal from what has hurt us, but to unify with the richness, depth and joy of life, through expanding our creative, capable nature.
Parts Work and EXA work beautifully together. Using EXA practices to make friends with our Parts and to embody Self energy is life-changing!
My expressive arts therapy sessions are for people who want to heal by getting deep into the arts, self-expression & creative play.
Models Informing LionSong
I have a Masters in Counseling Psychology and Expressive Arts Therapy from California Institute of Integral Studies.
I use a Person Centered, Trauma Informed, IFS, ecotherapeutic, and Process Work -minded approach in my counseling and expressive arts therapy services.
I see a lot of value in the 12 Step approach to community based, peer-led recovery, among other grassroots paths.
I feel healing our inner relationship to Self/Spirit/GodSelf is the most reliable road to a good life.
Booking Information
My fee for a 50-minute counseling or expressive arts therapy session is $120. My fee for a 75-minute session is $150.
Sessions may be booked for couples, family members and children, with a reasonable adjustment of the fee to match the situation.
Sessions are held remotely, online only at this time.
To initiate a booking process, send me an inquiry using the button below. I will respond to your email with information about next steps.
Please inform yourself of my scope of practice before sending a booking inquiry. Thank you for your interest!
Try LionSong Play Prompts
In EXA sessions, experientials are unscripted, arising organically out of the work we’re doing together.
Self-facilitated EXA isn’t quite the same, because the aspect of relationship is central for healing. But solo EXA spelunking is healing too! I have placed many records of my own creative healing encounters with the Inner Wild in the Ideas section of this site, for anyone to use on their own authority.
Here are some explorations you may want to try to get your feet wet:
Places, Grandmothers, or True Size for honoring yourself and where you come from
Body Map, Grounding or Containment for somatic skills explorations
Disasterpieces, Awkward Collaboration, Dictionary Song and Group Musical Play for playfulness
Parts Work Comics and Parts Work Dialogues for working with Inner Parts
Sandplay and Make Your Own Deck for vivifying intuition
For many more prompts, explore the LionSong IDEAS page.
My Background and Psychology Training
I grew up in a big family on a working organic produce farm in Lompoc, California. I went to college at UC Berkeley, where I graduated from the Department of Art Practice.
Counseling Psychology and Expressive Arts Therapy
I earned my Masters in Counseling Psychology and Expressive Arts Therapy from California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco, in 2007.
I worked for several years as a supervised marriage and family therapist (what is now called an AMFT) in clinical settings. I worked with incarcerated youth and their families, dual diagnosis adults, homeless children, and in addictions treatment, in the Bay Area and in Detroit.
When I moved to Berlin in 2010, I had a tiny private practice for two years but eventually shifted to workplace psychology, coaching, facilitation, conflict resolution, and organizational culture work. Since returning to the US in 2015, I have continued to serve in the coach, teacher and facilitator role through my workplace coaching business, offering counseling services through LionSong in parallel.
I continue to be passionately connected to all the ways that arts, healing, trauma, personal creative work, and collective consciousness evolution intersect.
Specializations
As a part of my Masters in Counseling and EXA, I received training in each of the core creative therapies (art, dance, music, drama, and poetry therapy). I was also trained in core clinical approaches, largely psychodynamic, transpersonal, and person-centered.
I have received further clinical trainings in Trauma Informed Expressive Arts Therapy, Internal Family Systems Therapy, Somatic Therapy, and Neurobiologically-Informed Trauma Treatment.
I consider my main specialization to be supporting clients, using expressive arts and/or the IFS model, to found and develop a deeply secure, loving relationship with their Inner Wild, or their own Spirit-Self.
Art Practices
My most heartfelt creative practice is songwriting, mostly folk music. I’ve also played around with several other arts practices, including improv, theater, dance, poetry, and painting.
Playful creative collaboration is my favorite way to relate. I also continuously explore EXA practices for personal discovery and healing.
What about you? What’s your story?
Say hi using the button below! Thanks for visting LionSong!