Mariefrance Cote, M.A. MFTi

Hello. I am first a foremost a human being, a woman, who enjoys creating and who is in awe with the process of growth and healing. I bring this passion and love in my work as a consultant, behavior specialist, and psychotherapist. I feel deeply committed to support the fostering of harmonious and alliance-based relationships between parents and their children. I hold that children are here to joyfully manifest their unique potentials and gifts. I believe each child develops and experiences life in her/his unique way. I combine visionary and intuitive skills to connect and resonate with children’s whole being, and use this  in working with them. I listen for what children say, verbally and non-verbally, and respond by offering deep honor and respect for whom they are.

In the last fifteen years, I have worked with families of children with atypical presentations, behavioral challenges, and diagnoses such as Autism, ADHD, as well as children with physical disabilities, and children labeled “gifted”. I enjoy working with parents who are seeking new ways to create harmony in their lives. I work as a mental health specialist with severely emotionally disturbed and traumatized children in a residential treatment facility doing psychotherapy, behavior consulting, and conducting day treatment groups with Equestrian-Assisted Therapy. They are some of my greatest teachers.

Together with my partner I parent a 6 year-old joyful little girl. We guide her development with an Attachment Parenting, Waldorf, and Mindfulness approach., and whatever ways feel is real and wholesome to us-Nature! We explore our interconnection with all of Life with each other. Through various creative means we discover and express who we are, and it is a daily practice. We like to move around but currently we are happy living on a ranch in beautiful Nicasio in West Marin.

Credentials:

• Marriage and Family Therapist Registered Intern with the Board of Behavioral Sciences (Currently completing Board Exams)
• Masters in Integral Counseling Psychology (2002) from The California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco.
• 15 years of counseling, consulting and psychotherapy with children, children with various developmental challenges and atypical presentation, and their families. Consulting with school officials and other clinicians.
• Mental health clinician in residential care facilities for severely emotionally disturbed children. Designing and implementing Treatment Plans; Liaison to clinical team; Functional Behavior analysis; Applied Behavior Analysis.
• 15 years of counseling and consulting with individuals facilitating the experience of expansion of consciousness, and healing.
• In-hospital counseling care (Marin General Hospital, California Pacific Medical Center) and psychotherapy using guided-imagery with cancer patients to support recovery and illness management. Group Therapy facilitator.
• Worked as a research assistant at California Pacific Medical Center, Institute for Health and Healing.
• Lectured at various medical, research, and educational institutions (Dean Ornish’s Preventive Medicine Institute) (University of Seven Rays) on Healing, Energy Medicine, Transformation, and Mind-Body Perspectives.