My Approach to Helping
I have been in private practice in Scottsdale since 1982. I am a graduate of Rosemead Graduate School of Psychology, in La Mirada, CA, with a doctorate in psychology and additional training in theology.
My practice is heavily weighted towards Couples work. I am EFT-trained (Emotionally Focused Therapy) and emphasize Communication Skills, which I find are identified as a primary issue by almost every couple I see.
I specialize in the treatment of mens' fidelity issues and am recognized as an author and expert in sex and love addiction. Men are involved in Group, 1:1 and Couples' counseling. Spouses are given survival tools and support to get through the violation and betrayal while their husband is involved in a rigorous recovery program.
I am the co-author of the book:
Lonely All The Time: Recognizing, Understanding, and Overcoming Sex Addiction, for Addicts and Co-dependents
I enjoy the opportunity to work intensively with my clients, offering them 8 day intensive and weekend intensive counseling to address problems more effectively and efficiently. The weekend intensives allow for a "bolus" of help to quickly address most of the issues, relieve emotional pain and set the stage for future work.
More Info About My Practice
Treatment Specialties
I am an EFT-trained couples' therapist who most strongly supports the healing and preservation of marriages and families. This specialized training has been researched and is proven to help all couples break destructive habits and substantially improve their intimacy.
Since 1985 I have run a program for couples who struggle with sex addiction,affairs and or infidelity. I run three weekly group meetings for men (see Men's Issues and Men's Groups on this website).The men may have a history of virtual (online) or actual infidelity and may or may not be "addicted" to sex. It is common to see both men who have a problem with online pornography and masturbation as well as those who have had an affair(s).
Another specialty is Intensive Fast Track counseling (see Intensive Fast Track on this site). There are times when people need to dig deeper to get pain addressed because it cannot be addressed in an hourly session-a-week approach. There are times when someone needs to get things done quickly due to business commitments. There are times when people feel a great deal of pain and want to address it quickly. In any of these circumstances a Fast Track may be helpful. When indicated, I see clients several hours a day, typically for a week at a time, and may have another therapist involved similarly to significantly drain the pool of pain to restore healthy functioning. This is done for couples as well as individuals.
My faith is very important to me (Christian). In addition to being a psychologist who is a believer, I am a Board Certified Professional Christian Counselor. I actively incorporate each person's faith (if desired) into the recovery process. I enjoy working with people of varied faiths, cultures and backgrounds and work to be culturally and spiritually sensitive to my clients and their beliefs.
INTERESTS:
Parentingadolescents
Mood disorders, including major depression, bipolar disorder
Loss and Grief
Spirituality
Dissociative disorders
Specific Issue(s) I'm Skilled at Helping With
I specialize in sex addiction and infidelity issues. I am one of the pioneers in this field and a co-author of the book Lonely All Of The Time, for Sex Addicts and Spouses.
How Psychotherapy Can Help
Psychotherapy helps in a number of ways. Clarity comes from speaking to someone who understands our issues. Emotional release makes us feel lighter, relieved and comes with our facing our pain and issues. It is helpful to have a safe place to talk so we are not alone with our concerns and feelings. I see psychotherapy as one part safe place to talk, one part strategic (what should I do with this situation?) and one part enabling emotional processing. Other things are very important too, such as medication when necessary, assessment and treatment of what we think and believe, especially about ourselves and our lives and support for each person's spiritual resources.
