Rhonda has over 20 years of experience working with families in a variety of settings with a variety of issues. She is passionate about adoption and has worked directly in the adoption field for many years. Rhonda is passionate about working with families through a variety of issues, including grief and loss, divorce, trauma, anxiety, just to name a few. Currently, she works part time in her private practice, where she does individual, child and family therapy using a variety of age appropriate therapeutic techniques. Rhonda meets with her clients in their home, or at her office in Newberg, Oregon.

Rhonda believes that as children and families grow, go through developmental stages, and deal with various adoption issues, crisis can occur that lead children and families to the point of needing some extra support, education, and counseling. She believes that parents are the experts regarding their own children – they know them better than anyone else. Therefore, utilizing parents’ knowledge and expertise is a vital part of helping to make positive changes. Rhonda believes that all adoption begins with a loss, and that the adopted child, the birth parents, and the adoptive parents deal with the issue of loss (to some degree), their entire lives. Advocacy for children’s safety, health and well-being continues to be an important factor in her career, and she believes education is the best way to achieve this.

Rhonda is a Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor, and holds a Post-Graduate Certificate in Adoption Therapy. She also holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work from University of Hawaii. Her Bachelor Degree is in Sociology, from the University of Oregon. Rhonda is a member of the National Association of Social Workers and the Association For Play Therapy. In addition to her private practice, she is an assistant professor in the Social Work Department at George Fox University.