Online therapy & EFT for neurodiverse individuals & couples in Sunnyvale, Silicon Valley & Beyond
About Rose Kormanyos, MA, LMFT, IMFT, and Founder of Redwood & Oak Counseling
We're all nerdy about something! I'm a nerd about providing life-changing therapy to the people I work best with — individuals and couples with science-oriented or neurodivergent brains.
I grew up as a nerd, surrounded by other nerds, with a father working for Boeing in Seattle, and with several of my brothers studying physics, engineering, and medicine. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, I was lucky to be surrounded by incredible forests, mountains, and coasts. I wouldn't have been able to put these words to it at the time, but being outdoors became a special interest that helped me to soothe a brain that felt deeply and was prone to distraction and overstimulation.
Exploring the Beauty and Challenges of Neurodiversity: My Unique Background in Ecology and Marriage and Family Therapy
Propelled by this passion for nature, I studied biology in school, and trained and worked as an ecologist. I was especially interested in marine invertebrates, botany, and plant-animal interactions. If you want to see just how deep my nerd roots go, check out this paper I co-authored on using geoduck clam sclerochronology to reconstruct ocean temperatures… It might be the nerdiest thing ever!
Despite my love of ecology, I started to feel a pull to work more directly with people and in systems, where I could have more of an immediate impact. I changed my career and completed my master’s degree in Couple and Family Therapy in 2012.
I find that many of the same ideas that drew me to ecology continue to resonate in my therapy work. We are all organisms that bring our biology and history into our environments, as we work to grow, heal, and connect with others. I bring an understanding of neurobiology and a respect for rigorous research to my therapy practice. I’ve also developed a passion for understanding the diversity in how we are all wired neurologically, and the beauty and challenges that can come along with having a neurodivergent brain, and cross-neurotype relationships.
Specialized Online Therapy for Neurodivergent Individuals and Couples. . . by a Neurodivergent Therapist
To bring it all full-circle, after several years working as a therapist and learning more about neurodivergence, I started to see many of the traits in myself that I saw in my neurodivergent clients.
After referring clients to assessments for years, I went and had one of my own. What followed was a very helpful and somewhat embarrassing moment of “Oh, duh! How did I miss this in myself for so long?!”
This understanding of my own neurodivergence helped me to understand my brain and my relationship patterns in a much more in-depth way and has enriched my work with clients who are working to understand the quirks of their own or their partner’s neurodivergence.
Evidence-Based Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) for Mixed-Neurotype Couples
As a therapist, I still nerd out pretty hard! I use therapy techniques that are evidence-based, meaning they have been rigorously studied and shown to be effective. This includes Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy - one of only two approaches to couples therapy that is known to be evidence based.
I also use Expressive Arts Therapy when clients are interested, as it brings a non-verbal component into the therapy work that can be helpful for many clients. I maintain membership in the professional organizations that allow me to stay current on new research findings in these areas. I also have designed my practice policies to keep both myself and my clients engaged and consistent in moving towards your goals.
I have pursued advanced training in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy and have earned the distinction of being an EFT Certified Therapist and an EFT Supervisor. This means that I have passed a rigorous application process, including hours of training, supervision, and review of my work by the ICEEFT board (The International Center for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy). I am especially proud to have been the first therapist in Cincinnati to have earned this certification. I now live in California but continue to see clients in Ohio through online therapy.
Online Therapy by a Nerd, for Other Nerds!
Beyond my work, I still crave learning and nurturing my love of natural history. In my free time, I am usually found with my husband, our Welsh terrier, and our young sons hiking or enjoying a nature center. On those rare events that the outdoors does not beckon, we can usually be found playing one of our favorite board games (Dominion or Code Names, anyone?) or watching something on Netflix usually involving magic and/or dragons.
Come nerd out with me!
If you are ready to dig in, figure out what is keeping you stuck, and then work together on life-changing personal growth, schedule a free 30-min phone consultation!