Individual Psychotherapy

I aim to reduce the suffering of every individual within my reach by combining professional expertise with deep, heartfelt compassion.

A woman is lying on a black horse, smiling, in a wooded area with trees and fallen leaves.

My practice is built on a simple but profound realization: while no single person can heal the world, we all possess the power to transform the lives of others within our reach. 

With an MA in counseling psychology, intensive training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and over 20 years of experience, I blend professional rigor with genuine human connection. 

I am dedicated to walking alongside my clients, offering not just my expertise, but a compassionate space where they feel truly seen and supported.

An Integrated Approach: 

In addition to the traditional therapeutic approaches listed above, here are some of the intuitive and experiential modalities you may experience during a psychotherapy session with me:

A stylized spiral logo in beige color with a yellow center.
A person with short dark hair wearing a beige apron, painting on a colorful wall hang with a paintbrush in their right hand, in a room near a window with natural light.

Process Painting

Process painting—often called intuitive painting—is a creative practice that shifts the focus entirely from the finished product to the experience of making it. Unlike traditional art, which often prioritizes technique, realism, or a pre-planned outcome, process painting is a form of "meditation with a brush”.  The primary goal of process painting is self-discovery. It operates on the belief that everyone has a natural, creative "source" that can be accessed once the inner critic is silenced.  By daring to create without fear of failure, process painting promotes a deep sense of self-acceptance and can be a profound tool for mental and emotional well-being.

Let's Work Together
Blue spiral at symbol icon.
A desert-themed decorative arrangement on a wooden table with sand, shells, stones, crystals, a tree sculpture, a small statue, and various artistic objects.

Sandtray Therapy

Sand tray therapy is a powerful, non-directive, and expressive modality often used within counseling and psychotherapy, where clients create miniature worlds in a tray of sand using a wide variety of small figures, objects, and natural materials. This creative process provides a safe and contained space for clients, both children and adults, to visually and kinesthetically represent their internal world, feelings, and experiences—especially those that may be too difficult or complex to articulate verbally. Through the arrangement of symbols and scenes in the sand, clients can explore conflicts, process trauma, and achieve psychological distance and clarity, often leading to profound insights and emotional healing by making the unconscious conscious.

Let's Work Together
Pink spiral icon on a transparent background.
Two women sitting outdoors under a large tree, with a small white horse with black spots on its face. One woman has long brown hair and is smiling, while the other has curly blonde hair and is sitting in a teal chair, wearing a patterned blouse.

Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP)

Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) is an experiential mental health treatment where licensed therapists incorporate horses into the therapeutic process to facilitate emotional and psychological healing. This modality centers, in part, on nervous system regulation through the concept of co-regulation, where a horse’s naturally calm and steady heart rhythm can help synchronize and stabilize a human's dysregulated nervous system. By practicing grounded, calm interactions with these animals, individuals can deactivate "fight, flight, or freeze" responses, lower cortisol levels, and develop sustainable emotional regulation skills that improve their overall resilience and ability to manage stress.

Horses are highly sensitive beings that can mirror human emotions and non-verbal states.  They provide immediate, non-judgmental feedback that helps clients identify internal states and habitual patterns. Through engaging with this real-time feedback, participants may become aware of outdated, lifelong patterns and receive positive results for practicing new, more beneficial coping and relational skills. 

Let's Work Together
A woman with dark hair, wearing a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, a gray T-shirt, and black pants, is standing next to a black and white horse in a fenced outdoor area with desert plants and cacti in the background.

“Working with Marla and the equine therapy program has been one of the most transformative experiences of my life.

When I first arrived, I was fresh from a suicide attempt and carrying a level of heartbreak and grief that felt impossible to hold. I did not know how to trust myself or the world around me. I only knew that I needed a place where I could feel safe again.

Marla and the horses gave me that space. Their presence allowed me to slow down, breathe, and reconnect with parts of myself I thought were gone forever. Through this work, I began to rebuild my sense of self, confidence, and safety. I processed deep layers of grief and felt supported every step of the way. The horses met me with honesty and gentleness, and Marla guided me with compassion, patience, and wisdom.

This modality of therapy has been instrumental in my recovery journey. It truly saved my life. Today, I am living a peaceful life and can see how far I have come. I carry a strength and calm that I never imagined possible. I am deeply grateful for Marla, the horses, and the healing they helped me find.”

— Cynthia

Let’s Work Together

Fill out the form and I’ll get back to you about arranging a consult or initial appointment.