I believe we all have the capacity to live full, rewarding lives, and that counseling can help to unlock that potential. When life’s many challenges overwhelm us or make us feel “stuck,” counseling can provide a uniquely safe space in which difficult feelings and experiences can be explored. By cultivating mindfulness, compassion and courage, we can allow our wounds to heal and discover new ways of relating to our thoughts, our emotions and the world around us.



I work with adults (18 and over) on a wide range of issues, including depression, anxiety, relationship problems, stress management, trauma, loss and grief, self-esteem, life transitions, spirituality, career counseling, short-term concerns/problem solving, general mental health and wellness and more.

 

These are a few of the principles that guide my practice:

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Collaboration. While my training has provided me with a degree of expertise on mental health issues, you are the expert on you. I view the process of therapy as entirely collaborative, and one of my most important goals is to honor, respect and strengthen your perspective throughout the process.

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Putting it all in context. We are all deeply influenced by a wide range of forces, many of which are beyond our control: the makeup of our genes, the environment in which we grew up, our culture and our society, to name a few. I believe strongly in taking responsibility for our actions—but I also feel that understanding context is essential to cultivating compassion for ourselves and others.

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Integrating theories. I’m influenced by a broad range of psychological theories, including Humanistic/Rogerian, Existential, Psychodynamic, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and I draw from them and others as needed to address your unique goals and struggles.

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Mindfulness. Mindfulness involves stepping out of our incessant thinking about the past and future and bringing our awareness into the present moment. It sounds simple, and it is—but it’s not easy! Nonetheless, I believe that cultivating mindfulness is a vital element of healing and growth.

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Respect for diversity. The ways in which we are different—our race, age, gender, sexual orientation, faith and many other factors—are vital elements of who we are. Sadly, the way that other people and our culture view those differences is also the basis for widespread oppression, injustice and inequality. I believe in openly exploring the ways in which power and privilege impact us without losing sight of the unique strengths that our differences offer.

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Building on strengths. In our culture we have a very strong tendency to focus on our weaknesses, the things we don’t like about ourselves and our lives. And while it’s important to address the things we’d like to change, it’s also vital to recognize our strengths and build on them. 

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Acceptance. We tend to think that being self-critical is the only way to improve, but in reality it’s often the largest obstacle to progress. Ironically enough, we often need to accept the way we are before we can change.