In therapy, my hope is to provide a space where my clients can harness their own creativity, wisdom, and authenticity! Therapy is a process of reclaiming and redefining how you would like to be in relationship with yourself and others. Sexual fulfillment and embodiment is a deeply personal journey, and I feel honored to be able to witness your process! Although sexuality is a topic we often do not discuss freely, inviting others into our experience can be transformative and connective. I approach therapy with a curious, compassionate, and systems based perspective. Primarily, I utilize Narrative Therapy and Emotion Focused Therapy. My goal is to facilitate the growth of my clients as they unlearn harmful messages they have internalized from the world around them. Together, we can co-create new narratives of liberation and empowerment, in a way that feels true to your values, experiences, and identities.
Rachael specializes in…
- Licensure
- Marriage and Family Resident Therapist
- Clinical Supervisor: Alissa Goddard, MA, LMFT, AASECT Certified Sex Therapist
- Degrees
- Bachelors of Arts in Psychology-California State University, Sacramento Current Graduate
- Student- Marriage, Couple, and Family Therapy- Lewis and Clark College
My Journey
I was initially drawn to sex therapy through my own journey of self-exploration and search for connection. As a child, I was full of questions about gender, sexuality, and relationships. Growing up in the catholic church, these questions were not always invited and my curious nature was often dismissed. As I entered adolescence, I felt isolated in my sexuality, due to the sense of shame and secrecy that others imposed on conversations about sex. In relationships, I found myself wondering if I was “doing it right”. The pressures and ambiguous expectations combined with lack of communication made sex confusing and anxiety producing. Connection and true intimacy was lacking. I wondered if my peers were satisfied with their experiences and if they were also questioning their gender and sexuality. My emerging queer identity mixed with my religious upbringing further perpetuated the sense of secrecy. I later distanced myself from the church and began to unlearn some of the messages that kept my queerness confined. As I became comfortable and confident with my identities, I found solace in the transparency I was able to build within my queer/neurodivergent community. Through therapy, I found hope, joy, and freedom!
As a sex therapist, I hope to connect you to your own sources of support and care, so you have the freedom to question what you know, what you want, and what you would like to let go of. Holistically, change can be achieved when we move toward authentically becoming embodied. Together, we can collaborate to identify what may help you move towards authenticity and away from fear and self-doubt. My role in therapy is to support your growth and to help you reach your personal goals.
I am passionate about working with the LGBTQIA+ community and neurodivergent individuals! My interests include mismatched desire, emotional connection and communication, non-sexual relationships, religious trauma, and sexual anxiety. I am sex positive and kink affirming. My graduate training stems from a social justice model that utilizes systems theory, which views the client in relation to the environment they reside within. As a therapist, I seek to demonstrate cultural humility with an awareness of privilege and power dynamics.
When I am not engaging in therapy, I can be found by the nearest body of water! I enjoy hiking, reading, watching documentaries, baking, and making questionable art that challenges perfectionism!
