My Approach to Helping
My 25+ years of experience has taught me the importance of making the time to listen and understand before I start making suggestions. This involves understanding each person's life story, administering assessment tools, reviewing relevant records, and interviewing other people that my client and I agree should be involved. I believe strongly in evaluating strengths as well as pain, with my feedback emphasizing the former. I also believe in letting my clients know about what research-based treatments are available to them so that we can collaborate in experiencing transformative change ASAP.
I believe in setting life-altering goals before beginning, and checking on progress as we go. My intention is to promote healing, wellness, and happiness as thoroughly and as effectively as possible. With child and teen clients, I use a variety of methods to make each person comfortable (e.g., I use magic to connect with kids and teens, referring to myself as a wizard).
More Info About My Practice
I'm an author of two books pertaining to promoting resilience in youth and have a third one in the works for couples. I'm also a past president of the Pennsylvania Psychological Association, serve as an examiner for board certification in clinical psychology, have done hundreds of national media projects (e.g., CNN, Washington Post, New York Times) and have lead hundreds of trainings for mental health professionals across the country. My YouTube channel is at www.KidsandCouples.com, my blog is at www.hecticparents.com while my Twitter feed is @HelpingParents. Other information about my credentials, awards, and various work products can be found on my main website.
Specific Issue(s) I'm Skilled at Helping With
I consider myself to be a general practitioner. However, I specialize in working with kids, teens, and couples. I also love practicing positive psychotherapy with adults (i.e., how to apply the science of happiness), doing forensic evaluations, and offering presentations and workshops to groups.
How Psychotherapy Can Help
I believe that clinical psychology is the discipline that understands, heals, and advances the human condition. Psychotherapy, when well conceived and conducted, is the practice that applies the best science-based information for accomplishing transformational change for individuals, couples, and families. It is remarkable to me how life altering it can be (i.e., as a man I'll never give birth, but I've helped to give rebirth more times than I can count).
