Professional Profile
After a successful 17-year career in high-tech management, consulting, training, and team-building, Wendy forged a second career as a marriage and family therapist. During her clinical internship, Wendy co-developed, spearheaded, and facilitated Next Door Solutions to Domestic Violence's first community-based support group for women and facilitated Almaden Valley Counseling Service's pilot program on co-parenting and divorce group education.
As a therapist in private practice, Wendy provides individual counseling, marriage counseling, divorce counseling, parent-child counseling, co-parenting, and conflict resolution services to adults, parents, youth, and families. She has completed specialized training in divorce mediation, family law fundamentals, suicide awareness and crisis prevention, and domestic violence advocacy.
Wendy serves as Mediator-in-Training with the Santa Clara County Office of Human Relations Dispute Resolution Program Services. In addition, she co-facilitates the Santa Clara County Mental Health Department's Survivors of Suicide Loss Support Group and is a Suicide and Crisis Services (SACS) hotline counselor. Furthermore, she is YMCA Cornerstone Asset Building Champion who delivers lessons to first graders on bully prevention, friendship, responsibility, cooperation, teamwork, listening, empathy, and conflict resolution.
Wendy designs and delivers free seminars for teachers, students, and parents on youth depression and suicide awareness, co-parenting and divorce, and step family conflict resolution.
Education and License
1988: B.A. Psychology, San Jose State University.
2006: M.A. Counseling Psychology, Santa Clara University.
2005-2010: Registered Intern in Marriage and Family Therapy.
2011: License to practice marriage and family therapy in California: MFC #50165.
Specialized Training
2005: 40-Hour State Mandated Domestic Violence Training for Advocates with Next Door Solutions to Domestic Violence.
2008: 80-Hour Suicide and Crisis Services Intervention with the Santa Clara County, Department of Mental Health, Suicide & Crisis Services (SACS).
2012: 40-Hour Mediation Essentials and Divorce Mediation, Northern California Mediation Center.
2012: 12-Hour Fundamentals of Family Law for Mediators and Therapists, Northern California Mediation Center.
2012: 50-Hour University Certification in the treatment of OIF-OEF active duty troops and their families (Forthcoming February, 2013).
2012: 250 hours as Case Specialist with the Santa Clara County Office of Human Relations Dispute Resolution Program Services.
2013: 12-Hour Parenting Coordination Training: Helping High Conflict Parents Resolve Disputes, Northern California Mediation Center
Professional Development Through Community Action
2012 to Present: Mediator-In-Training, Santa Clara County Dispute Resolution Program Services.
2011 to Present: YMCA Cornerstone Program Asset Building Champion.
2010 to Present: Co-Facilitator, Santa Clara County Department of Mental Health: SACS Survivors of Suicide Loss Support Group.
2009 to Present: Presenter-Speaker to schools, colleges, and mental health agencies on Adult and Youth Depression and Suicide Prevention and Intervention.
2008 to Present: Crisis Counselor, Santa Clara County Dept. of Mental Health, Suicide and Crisis Services (SACS).
Associations and Memberships
Alliance of Military and Veteran Family Behavioral Health Providers
American Association of Suicidology
American Psychological Association
Association of Family and Conciliation Courts
Association for Conflict Resolution
Association for Dispute Resolution of Northern California
California Association for Marriage and Family Therapists
International Academy of Collaborative Professionals
International Cultic Studies Association
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Santa Clara County Psychological Association
Personal Profile
Wendy was raised in Palo Alto, Sunnyvale, and Santa Clara, California. Her biological parents have been married more than once. As a little girl she found creative ways to survive the stress of her parents' multiple divorces. Her diverse and blended kin network includes over 50 men, women, and children. Wendy is the mother of a twenty-three-year-old son and was a single, never-married parent for the first fifteen years of her son's life. She is stepmother and step-grandmother to four children under the age of seven. She is aunt to many grammar-school aged nieces and nephews. She enjoys reading, writing, drumming, scrap-booking, hiking, and walking her dog. She values introspection, integrity, genuineness, empowerment, justice, commitment, empathy, diversity, safety, peace, compassion, professionalism, hard work, freedom of expression, equality, respect, and acceptance. As a teen, she was associated with a spiritual group-cult. She is a survivor of harmful group dynamics and interactions.