Since 1986 I have been practicing counseling or psychotherapy with adult individuals and couples.  I see my work as a process of bringing inner themes and conflicts to the surface and learning new ways of being, that make life much more satisfying.  It is an exploration into your inner world that can deepen your self-knowledge and allow you to understand how the past may be affecting your life now. 

My clients tell me they appreciate my active role in our therapy sessions.  Too often they have had therapists who just listen.  Listening well is the cornerstone of therapy, but today most people come to therapy with much more psychological awareness.  My role is to help you hear yourself from another viewpoint, to be a partner in setting personal direction, and to work with you to find solutions that may not be immediately apparent.  I will also work to help you better appreciate how culture, gender, political, social and spiritual issues affect your life.

I practice a psychodynamic, systems approach which often includes a cognitive-behavioral focus and experiential or Gestalt techniques. Sometimes I teach clients mindfulness exercises which many people find enrich and enliven their lives both inside and outside the therapy hour.  Mindfulness is its own teacher.  When we learn to live with mindfulness we understand our selves better and we are less likely to become  victims of our own thoughts.

I am trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Level I and II, which is a technique proven to be effective for recovering from trauma and soothing anxiety and depression.  To learn more go to the link about EMDR.
 

Working With Couples (gay or straight):
In couples counseling, the major aim of therapy is increasing your knowledge about yourself, your partner and the patterns of interaction between you.  Therapy becomes effective as you apply new knowledge to break ineffective patterns and develop better patterns.

The general key tasks of couple’s therapy are increasing your clarity about:

• The kind of life you want to build together

• The kind of partner you aspire to be in order to build the kind of life and relationship you want to create

• Your individual blocks to becoming the kind of partner you aspire to be

• The skills and knowledge necessary to do the above tasks

Go to “How To Get The Most From Couples Therapy©” to learn more.