Our Facilitators

Below are short bios of  the facilitators who run our Listening Mothers and Reflective Parenting; Discipline from the Heart groups in the Greater Seattle Area. 

Margaret Bergmann-Ness

I am a social worker with a private psychotherapy practice in Seattle.  I have been fascinated by the complexities of family life since beginning my own family a few decades ago, and committed to providing understanding and support for this process – for mothers, fathers, infants and all family members.  I have a Certificate in Parent–Infant Psychotherapy from the COR-Northwest Family Development Center, as well as my Masters Degree in Clinical Social Work. In addition, I have been a birth and postpartum doula and still train doulas for the Simkin School of Allied Birth Vocations.  All of these sources of experience have created my firm belief that our earliest relationships and family patterns matter deeply for the rest of our lives. I also believe that we are always able to grow and develop our patterns of relationship and our understanding of life.

In facilitating Listening Mothers and Reflective Parenting groups, I hope to provide an experience where parents can explore the emotions of all family members and develop healthy expectations of themselves as nurturers, while lightening the unbearable and unrealistic expectations that are frequently placed on parents

Lynne Brazg M. Ed

As an educator I have always been interested in early childhood with a special emphasis on infant development and maternal health.  I have taught elementary school and I am now a school counselor at the middle school level.

Veronique Burke LICSW

I am a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and I am the New Parents Services director at Family Services in Bellevue. I have always had a special interest in issues related to the early parenting years and I have specialized in the treatment of pregnancy and postpartum mood disorders.  I have dedicated my work to developing services and support for healthy pregnancy and transition to parenthood in developing the Beyond the Baby Blues program and the Listening Mothers program.  I have lead Listening Mothers group since 1997.  I always feel honored to be part of the powerful sharing that can happen during those groups.

Jane Debrock, R.N

I was a Public Health Nursing focusing on Maternal-Child health in the home,community and school, teaching, and counselling about infant and child health.  I then moved on to Psychiatric Nurse work with a focus on analytic and behavioral therapies followed by grad school and my own mothering!  My strong interest in infant and maternal emotional development has been constant over the years, and has grown in depth and skill.  I am Delighted to find an organization like Listening Mothers and look forward to my involvement in the groups.

Hagit Golan

I have an M.A. Psychology (Child, Couple and Family Therapy) from Antioch University, Seattle.  In my work I focus on early childhood mental health. I am thrilled to be part of the Listening Mothers program, supporting mothers and babies as they build the foundations for their lifelong relationships.

Patricia Gordon, RN, MN

I am a psychiatric RN with post-graduate training in marriage and family therapy.  I was a Sr. Lecturer at the University of Washington School of Nursing, Department of Psychosocial Nursing and Community Health, for 15 years and worked as a family therapist and mental health consultant.  I have had the opportunity to work with families and teach students how to work families for many years.  I believe that the foundation of resilience and good mental health starts in the family.  Parents can build upon their strengths  and enhance their parenting skills by participating in such programs as Reflective Parenting.

Carla Hershman, LICSW

I am a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker.  I have completed a post graduate program in Infant Mental Healththrough the University of Washington’s School of Nursing, and am a current candidate for the Child Psychotherapy Training Program at Seattle Psychoanalytic Society and Institute.  I have a private practice in North Seattle and work as the Early Childhood Services Clinician at the SJCC.  My work and research for the last 10 years has specialized in adults and children exposed to violence, young children with special needs, and infant-parent psychotherapy.

Erica Rayner-Horn

I am a Psychotherapist with post-graduate training in infant mental health and parent/infant psychotherapy at the Northwest Family Development Center.  I have a private practice in the Wallingford/Fremont area where I work primarily with individuals, groups, and parents and infants.  Formerly, as an Occupational Therapist in England, I worked in various clinical settings and trained in group psychotherapy. I have a deep appreciation for the Listening Mothers program as it provides a safe, supportive place to explore all the complex feelings that inevitably arise with having a new baby, and discovering you are not alone in your experience! I am delighted to be a Listening Mothers facilitator because I strongly believe that by attending to the emotional needs of babies and their parents in these first months, we support mothers and babies to know each other better and build a lasting foundation for happy, healthy, caring families.

Rachel Kalvert, MSW

I have a Masters in Social Work (MSW) from New York University and completed an Infant Observation post-graduate certificate program, the training for which included an in-depth examination of a child’s emotional world in their first year.  In addition, I am a Clinical Associate at Seattle Psychoanalytic Society and Institute.  My private practice is located on Capitol Hill and my focus is working with new mothers and mothers of premature babies.  I am thrilled to be a facilitator since I strongly believe that Listening Mothers supports and strengthens the mother-baby relationship in many important ways.

Sylvia Kurin

I am a Clinical Psychologist.  I received my degree in Uruguay in 1999. I am currently completing my second year of a Masters in Social Work at the University of Washington. I have also completed the Certificate Program in Infant Mental Health at the University of Washington in 2003.  I have specialized in the area of infant-parent psychotherapy.  I have been providing child, adult, and family psychotherapy for 7 years. I am currently providing individual psychotherapy for mothers with Post Partum Disorders and adjustment to parenthood.  My first language is Spanish and I provide bilingual and bicultural services.  I am currently leading Listening Mothers groups in both Spanish and English.  Both of them are at Family Services in Bellevue. 

Mi nombre es Sylvia Kurin. Soy Psicóloga Clínica. Recibí mi título universitario en Uruguay en el año 1999. Actualmente, estoy cursando mi segundo año de maestría en Asistencia Social en la Universidad de Washington. Además, he recibido la certificación como especialista en psicoterapia de la primera infancia en la Universidad de Washington en el año 2003. He proveído servicios de psicoterapia infantil, de adultos y familiar por más de 7 años. Actualmente, estoy proveyendo psicoterapia individual para madres con Depresión Post Parto y otras dificultades relacionadas con la adaptación a la maternidad. Mi idioma nativo es el español. En el presente estoy liderando dos grupos de Listening Mothers, uno en español y otro en ingles. Ambos se llevan a cabo en Family Services en Bellevue.

Amy Lundgren, PhD

I am a licensed clinical psychologist working in the Northgate neighborhood of Seattle. I specialize in the mother-child relationship and in adjustment issues in the first five years of life. I received my clinical psychology master’s and doctoral degrees at Fuller Graduate School of Psychology Pasadena, California. I have extensive postdoctoral training in child trauma recovery and family therapy. In 2003 I completed a year-long training program in infant mental health through the Cedars Sinai Hospital Interdisciplinary Training Institute. I have 15 years of experience serving mothers, their children, and families in a variety of settings, including community mental health, school-based milieu treatment, and in-home treatment. In June 2009 I completed the two-year professional training program at the North Pacific Institute for Analytical Psychology studying the work and theory of Carl Jung.  Currently I am participating in Infant Observation at The Center for Object Relations Northwest Family Development Center.  To learn more visit my website.

Malka Appelbaum Maizel

I have a Masters in Psychology degree from Seattle University and a Ph.D. in Sociology and a Masters in Public Health, both from the University Of Washington. I am currently working at Catholic Community Services in Seattle and Kent as a Child and Family Therapist/Case Manager and am certified as a Child Mental Health Specialist.  I am also a consulting therapist for two head-start preschools in Seattle where I offer consultation to teachers and parents on early childhood mental health issues and provide play therapy for young children who are struggling with emotional issues. I have lead many Listening Mothers workshops and parenting classes in a variety of settings.  I am a certified leader of Guttman Institute’s program of Bringing Baby Home.  Currently I am part of the team that is piloting the Reflective Parenting Workshops.  I am trained in psychotherapy informed by attachment theory, existential psychology, child development and cognitive-behavioral therapy. In the variety of settings that I have worked in, I have dedicated myself to supporting parents in their quest to be nurturing and attuned to the emotional needs of their children and their own needs as parents so they can be the as good and effective parents as they aspire to be.

Yaffa Maritz

I am the co-founder and clinical director of the Listening Mothers program.  I have a master degree in clinical psychology and am a licensed mental health counselor with advanced training in Infant Mental Health.  I have been a strong advocate on behalf of babies and their families, believing that by supporting parents and creating a safe environment for them to explore emotional issues, we set the foundation for their kids emotional health.

Krista Murtfeldt

I have been doing groups with Listening Mothers since April 2005.  I truly enjoy the opportunity to meet and engage with new mothers and their babies.  Helping to facilitate and expand a healthy attachment between mother and baby is exciting and important to me.  I have been a social worker since 1998 and have worked in foster care, international adoptions and now perinatal social work.  I have been a perinatal social worker at University of Washington Medical Center working with high risk pregnancies since 2001.  look forward to continuing my work with Listening Mothers.

Suan Nelson, MA LMHC

I am a Psychotherapist and a Certified Group Psychotherapist with post-graduate advanced training in infant mental health and parent infant psychotherapy at the Northwest Family Development Center. I have a private practice in the Greenwood/Phinney neighborhood of North Seattle where I work primarily with individuals, couples and groups.  In addition to working as a Listening Mothers facilitator, I am also a Secure Beginnings therapist specializing in working with pregnant and postpartum moms as they adjust to parenthood.  As a parent and a therapist I am particularly interested in how each of us began our earliest relationships and how they affect our later life experiences.  Listening Mothers is a wonderful setting to begin exploring the challenging experience of mothering and the development of the emotional life of your baby in a safe and supportive group environment.

Christine Nicholson, Ph.D.

Christine Nicholson is a mother, a dual career wife, a recent grandmother and a past step-mother and single parent, as well as a licensed school and clinical psychologist specializing in the treatment of adolescent girls. Dr. Nicholson studied at the University of Michigan and San Francisco State University and received her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of New Mexico. She holds additional certification in special education, educational diagnostics, and mediation. She had an established private practice for 25 years in Albuquerque, New Mexico. More recently Dr. Nicholson had a private practice in Sequim, Washington and worked as a school psychologist for the Sequim School District. She has now permanently relocated to Kirkland, Washington where she has a private practice as a Counseling Psychologist and is accepting new patients.  You can learn more about Christine, known by her patients as the “Worry Doctor” at her website.

Ambre Olsen, MD

Intrigued by the lives of women and babies, I first trained and practiced as an OBGYN.  Now my practice is limited to psychotherapy with a particular focus on the emotional life of parents and babies.  As a Listening Mothers facilitator, I bring dedication to emotional health, growth and development, a deep interest in the complexities of communication, and a strong commitment to coming to better understanding and shared meaning making in the experience of becoming the mothers we want to be. I am pleased to open up a new location for meeting in Columbia City.

Patricia Spencer, Infant Family Specialist

As an early childhood educator, I have been working with families and children birth to five years of age in varying capacities (teacher, teacher trainer, consultant, home visitor) for over 15 years. I completed the program in Infant Mental Health at the University of Washington so I am particularly interested in the first years of life as they unfold within the family.  I am currently a postpartum doula, working with families in their homes after the birth of a baby, which provides a unique opportunity to witness and experience this unfolding.

Chuan-Chuan Tsai

I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and have devoted much of my studies in learning how to promote emotional health in individual and family relationships in the community that we live in.  I believe that healthy community has to be built from ground up.  Paying attention to create healthy attachment and emotional growth between mother/father and the baby is the foundation for future healthy development and healthy community.  I am thrilled to be part of the journey with mothers and babies in the Listening Mothers Group process.

Teresa Williams

I have worked as a social worker for the past 10 years with children and families in a variety of settings, and currently, as a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, providing support and advocacy for mothers and babies at the University of Washington Medical Center. I also have a longstanding interest in mind/body health and am a certified yoga instructor with experience teaching yoga and meditation.  I appreciate the opportunity within Listening Mothers to practice deep awareness and cultivate positive states of well being for both mothers and babies.