Interns

My name is Allison Decker and I am a Marriage and Family Therapy Intern working under the supervision of Mary Ruth Cross, licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. I have a Master’s Degree in Counseling with a dual emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) and School Counseling (PPS Pupil, Personnel Services) from St. Mary’s College of California. I also have my Bachelor’s Degree in Child Psychology from St. Mary’s.

In addition to being an MFT Intern in private practice, I am also a credentialed School Counselor. I have been working in the school system for the past five years as an Elementary School Counselor and a Middle School Counselor in San Ramon, Pleasanton and Livermore. I am pleased and excited to have the opportunity to broaden my horizons by working in the private practice arena.

During my five years as a School Counselor, I have worked with children, adolescents and families. I have experience with a variety of issues including the following:
Depression	Anxiety	Divorce
Social skills	Family transitions	Self harm
Substance abuse	Behavioral concerns	Suicide
Self esteem	Domestic violence	Child abuse

I have a foundation in using Client Centered Psychotherapy and have implemented the following modalities: Art Therapy, Play Therapy, Bibliotherapy, Parent Consultation. I enjoy working with children and families and have worked very closely with parents on developing positive parenting skills and interactions. The time I spend with my clients is infused with kindness, understanding and nurturance as I work on developing strong therapeutic alliances with clients of all ages. In particular my strength is in being warm, empathic and a strong support that my clients can depend on.

During this internship I will bring a standard of excellence to my work with children, adolescents, individuals, couples and families. Our offices are located in San Ramon and I have evening appointment times available. I am able to offer affordable fees for services. Thank you for your support and I look forward to working collaboratively in the future. You may reach me at (925) 600-4818 2#.