Hi, I’m Summer.
I’m a therapist and professor who specializes in trauma and complex clinical presentations. I’m especially comfortable working with people who have felt misunderstood or like they needed to make themselves easier for someone else to understand.
Alongside my clinical practice, I teach and mentor developing therapists, which keeps me closely connected to the research, theory, and ongoing learning that shape my work.
What It’s Like to Work With Me
My style is warm, direct and collaborative. I use humor when I can (I think laughter is therapeutic!) but I can also challenge you when I need to and will keep us focused on what brought you to this work in the first place.
You can lead the way but you don’t have to figure it all out on your own. I’m comfortable following your pace or creating structure to lead us when it helps.
Why I Do This Work
I’ve always been drawn to work that is complex, intense, and sometimes messy (before I was a therapist, I taught 5th grade!). I don’t expect clients to make themselves easier to understand in order to work with me and I am energized when I face a challenge.
I’ve seen too many people receive therapy that was too surface-level, a bad fit for what they needed, or offered by providers who felt overwhelmed. I am passionate about providing a different experience.
I also love that this field never lets me stop learning. There is always more to learn and new ways to grow as a clinician!
My Clinical Approach
I provide trauma-informed care paired with relational and attachment-focused therapy. I pay particular attention to how past experiences shape relationships, coping, self-protection, and the way you move through the world.
I'm a Certified EMDR Therapist through EMDRIA and use EMDR for trauma memory processing. I also use Internal Family Systems, ACT, and somatic work depending on what a client needs.
I consult regularly on EMDR for childhood trauma, IFS, and dissociative disorders, and I'm a member of EMDRIA and the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation.
Experience & Training
I earned my Master’s in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University and am licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist in California and Ohio.
I completed EMDR training through the EMDR Humanitarian Assistance Program in 2017 and am a Certified EMDR Therapist through EMDRIA.
Most of my practice is adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. My clinical experience also includes complex PTSD, dissociative disorders, borderline personality disorder, suicidality and self-harm, and eating disorders, including work in residential, PHP, and IOP levels of care.
I also teach full time in the Marriage and Family Therapy program at the University of La Verne, where I teach courses in areas including psychopathology, trauma treatment, practicum, child and adolescent therapy, couples therapy, and family violence.
Credentials
California Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, LMFT #123547
Ohio Independent Marriage and Family Therapist, IMFT #F.2300359
M.A. in Clinical Psychology, Pepperdine University
Certified EMDR Therapist, EMDR International Association
Summer the Person
Outside of work, I’m usually reading, walking my dog, tending to my houseplants, or trying to identify a bird I haven’t seen before. I love scary movies, cooking, and feeding people.
I’m naturally curious, overly enthusiastic about my newest special interest (ask me what it is!), and happiest when I’m learning something new.