A holistic background in evidence-based practice and the arts

I've been doing therapy since 2014. People come to me struggling with anxiety, depression, or dissociation that's been around for as long as they can remember, or when they're experiencing crisis, like feeling you're finally losing control after having just barely held things together your whole life. We'll build a deep, trusting relationship as we delve into the roots of your pain. I've been trained to do this using psychoanalytic/psychodynamic and ​trauma-informed parts work techniques. These evidence-based techniques help you access deep feelings, understand how things go wrong in your life, and learn how to connect with people more deeply and safely. I've also been trained to use dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) techniques - an empirically-validated, skills-based therapy - in the early phases of our work to help you manage intense feelings and relationship troubles when you just can't wait for the deeper change we're working on to unfold.

My education includes a focus on the study of neuroscience, especially how the brain responds to trauma. I believe it’s important for me as your therapist to understand how trauma affects the brain so I know what will be most healing in your therapy. Modern brain research shows how effective psychoanalytic and trauma-focused therapies are, but it’s important for me not to just read that something works, but to really understand why and what parts, so I can think critically about any treatment! Because of all this, I work to keep up to date with the latest neuroscientific research, so I can be sure I’m giving you truly evidence-based care. I want you to have the best treatment possible, so I also do a lot of continuing clinical education to keep my skills sharp, and deepen my mastery. To that end, I regularly participate in ongoing training, seminars, consultation, and independent study on ways to better help you.

I also have experience in inpatient psychiatric and school settings, and a background in the arts, including my education in violin performance and experience as a performer and music teacher, which broaden my perspective. In addition to my therapy practice, I teach about trauma and dissociative identity disorder at California Institute for Integral Studies, write about psychotherapy (see my published work below) and am the clinical director of a local crisis line. If we're doing deep, holistic work, my education and professional activity should be deep and holistic too!

Education

-Child & Adolescent Program, International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (2023 - )

-SF Yearlong Seminar, San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis (2022- )

-Healing the Unimaginable, Survivorship with Alison Miller (2022- )

-Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Integrations Training Program, San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis (2019-2020)

-Janina Fisher Complex Trauma and Dissociative Disorders Certificate II (2019)

-Janina Fisher Complex Trauma and Dissociative Disorders Certificate I (2019)

-Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Training Program, San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis (2017-2019)

-Psychoanalytic Case Conference Program, San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis (2017)

-Masters in Social Work, University of Southern California (2016)

-Graduate Professional Diploma in Music, University of Hartford, Hartt School (2013)

-Bachelor of Music, University of Hartford, Hartt School (2011)

Publications

-Svenson, K. (2020). Teleanalytic therapy in the era of Covid-19: Dissociation in the countertransference. Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association. 68(3): 457-454. doi.org/10.1177/0003065120938772

Recent courses

-Dissociative Identity Disorder: Neuroscience and the Use of the Body in Dissolving Dissociative Barriers. Mondays, March 1-22 7-9pm, 2021. https://www.ncspp.org/events/dissociative-identify-disorder

License No. and State: LCSW 101646 California; LICSW LC200001944 Washington D.C.

Chair-elect, Eating Disorders Special Interest Group, International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation

Please note that I only am able to offer services in English. If you need a therapist who speaks Spanish, this directory may be a good place to start: https://latinxtherapy.com/ for other languages, try Psychology Today’s search using their language search filter: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists

"This being human is a guest house. Every morning is a new arrival. A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor.... Welcome and entertain them all. Treat each guest honorably. The dark thought, the shame, the malice, meet them at the door laughing, and invite them in. Be grateful for whoever comes, because each has been sent as a guide from beyond."
​-Rumi