Professional Experience


Private Practice: San Mateo,CA 

~ twenty years experience working with individuals,couples, families, adolescents.

~ Diverse, multicultural practice with emphasis on individual therapy, relationships, addiction, couples counseling, divorce issues, parenting, co-parenting, woman's concerns, employment, stress, depression, trauma, and grief.


~Extensive experience working with addiction issues affecting the individual as well as loved ones.

~ Specialty working with woman's issues including childbirth, miscarriages, fertility issues, parenting, relationship concerns, change of life issues and illnesses affecting women.  

~Compassionate work with men and women facing life threatening illness or that of a loved one.

~Extensive work with men and women facing couples' issues, divorce, parent and co-parenting issues, job loss, depression and anxiety.  



Pyramid Alternatives, Pacifica, San Bruno, South San Francisco

Director of the Drug and Alcohol Treatment Program
~ Oversee all aspects of drug/alcohol treatment including assessments, treatment planning, and therapy.
~ Provide consults and management to staff of ten therapists.
~ Provide individual and group therapy.
~Work with San Francisco, San Mateo County and Santa Clara County probation and parole for court mandated clients.
~ Train and hire staff

Staff psychotherapist 
~Work with individuals, couples and families.
~Facilitate grief groups
~Facilitate senior groups

California Certified Supervisor
~ Train intern Marriage and Family Therapists, intern Psychologists, and intern MSW's complying with the Board of Behavioral Sciences' requirements to become licensed therapists.

Trainer
~ Teach intern consult classes on Treatment modalities, drug and alcohol issues, couples' counseling, suicide lethality, trauma, grief and depression.

Suicide Prevention and Crisis Center, San Mateo County, CA

Senior Counselor

~ Helped clients in crisis on a phone line and in person
~ Worked with family members who incurred loss of love ones.
~ Trained and supervised staff
Marcia Avila, MFT