About Me
What I Believe
I believe that people possess an amazing capacity for resilience, creativity, courage, and caring and that sometimes we become disconnected from these qualities and the truth about who we are. Families and couples often have extensive, untapped resources to resolve their challenges. I believe that therapy can help restore these connections and tap these resources and that the process doesn’t have to take a long time.
My Approach To Therapy
My focus is on how critical events in life impact a person’s relationship with self, with the world around them, and other people. I look to you to define how life would look its most optimum and focus on specific goals that will bring that vision into being.
In general, I work within a therapeutic tradition known as existential therapy that focuses on how we interpret the events and relationships of our lives and how that system of interpretations influences our capacity for action.
I use various approaches to help you achieve your goals based on your preferences for therapy, your cultural preferences, and your preferred learning style. These approaches may include looking at how you tell the story of your life and reframing beliefs that you believe do not serve you; using behavioral strategies to mitigate problematic behaviors; using Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR), somatic approaches such as the Trauma Resource Model® or Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) to reduce the impact of trauma, chronic illness and post-traumatic stress; and using more creative strategies depending on your preferences such as artwork, writing or music. I may refer you to a medical provider or additional sources of social support if I feel these collateral resources will assist you in achieving your stated goals.
I am interested in how you experience therapy and will ask you to tell me what works best for you. If I am not familiar with some aspect of your cultural background, I will acknowledge this and ask you to help me understand the meaning and importance of this cultural element in your life.
My Qualifications
I am licensed in the state of California as both a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor. I am licensed in the state of Washington as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor. I have over 20 years of experience working with individuals, couples, and families. I also hold two national board certifications: Nationally Certified Counselor and Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor. I have a Master of Science degree in Counseling--Marriage and Family Therapy from California State University, Northridge, where I graduated with distinction. My undergraduate degree is from Occidental College, where I graduated cum laude. I am certified in several evidence-based approaches to trauma, including Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and the Community Resiliency Model ® (CRM), as well as Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy, an evidence-based approach for couples. I am a former California state-certified Rape Crisis Advocate and am knowledgeable about the law enforcement and trial protocols that victims of crime often face. Additionally, I have been certified as a Clinical Supervisor by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists.
Selected Professional Memberships
Nancy Adamson, LMFT, LPCC, LHMC
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, CA LMFT47237
Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, CA LPC97
Licensed Mental Health Counselor, WA LH61464800