Helping People Find Therapists & Advocating for Ethical and Healthy Therapy & Marriage Counseling Practices

My Approach to Helping

Do you ever wonder why you and your Spouse can't get along? Are you having difficulty setting Boundaries with your Friends or Family? Are you often Angry? These issues are very common in people and can effectively be resolved in Therapy. This process helps you get to know yourself better and increases Control of your life. An important theme of our work is to eliminate your Emotional Pain and Negative thinking. Most of us are too Self Critical and constantly second guess ourselves. This interferes with our overall Happiness and our relationships with others. Together we establish healthier coping skills and get you back on track.

I will spend the initial sessions getting to know you and listening to your life story in a safe environment. Working with me can provide new insight, support and new strategies for all types of life's challenges. I am a warm and responsive person creating an atmosphere of mutual respect for each other.

As a practical, interactive therapist my approach is to provide constructive, manageable solutions to your problems. With compassion and sensitivity, I help people achieve their goals through the development of Problem Solving Skills and Confidence Building with continuous feedback and clarification. I will help you identify and challenge Irrational, Unproductive patterns of Thinking and Behaving that are keeping you from being fulfilled. Ultimately, you will learn to become a Powerful Agent for Self-Change.

 

More Info About My Practice

I have been in practice for 35+ years and I am passionate about having the opportunity to help people feel better about themselves and more in control of their lives. This is a real asset to being an experienced therapist.

My practice is self pay, i.e. I am not on any insurance panels. In these difficult economic times sliding scale appointments are available based on your ability to pay.

If your health insurance has an out of network benefit as most PPO plans do, I can provide you with a statement of services so that you can seek reimbursement from your carrier. Fees are payable at the end of each session. .

 

What I Usually Need to Know to Help

The first piece of information I want to learn is "why now?" In other words, what event caused you to seek therapy at this time. It is also invaluable to learn about all of your relationships to determine if there are any patterns causing you difficulty that we can uncover as a team. Gaining knowledge about your childhood, parents and siblings is also critical as sometimes we re enact scenes from our early years that we are not conscious of; frequently these scenes can be destructive and again we are not aware of this. Having a caring professional to help you sort this all out can be very freeing and gives you more control of your life.

 

Had a Negative Therapy Experience?

It is most upsetting to have had a negative therapy experience. I believe that a positive experience is only as good as the "fit" between you and the counselor. What does this mean? After the first session you get a sense of the counselor's personality and style. Have they really heard your feelings and is their feedback consistent with what you have been sharing with them? Some clients become very frustrated with a therapist who just sits and listens and gives no comments. I believe in interacting with my clients and sharing comments about what I have heard. Not all therapists do this and the result can be very frustrating to a person seeing a therapist for the first time. The bottom line is this: Not all therapists fit with all people. If you are uncomfortable with how your life is going and the relationships in it YOU deserve another chance with a different counselor. I recommend looking at websites and if something clicks call them and ask questions about their style and level of experience. Hopefully the next experience will be better.

Services I Provide

• Individual Therapy & Counseling
• Marriage, Couples, or Relationship Counseling
• Family Therapy
• Mediation

Ages I Work With

• Teens
• Adults
• Elders

Languages I Speak

• English

Groups I Work With

Survivors of incest, victims of verbal or physical abuse, alcoholism which impacts people and their family members, depressed and anxious people, trauma individuals, eating disorders, infertility patients & their partner, persons struggling with work/balance issues, marital discord, relationship issues.

Therapy Approaches I Use

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy /REBT
• Conflict Resolution Therapy
• Depth-Oriented Brief Therapy
• Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy
• Mindfulness Based Approaches
• Parent Work
• Positive Psychotherapy
• Psychodynamic
• Relationship Enhancement Therapy
• Self Acceptance Training

Concerns & Issues I Help With

• Identity Issues
• Attachment
• Reproduction
• Abuse: Emotional, Physical, or Sexual
• Trauma
• Occupational & Academic Issues
• Addictions & Compulsions
• Life Changes
• Childhood & Adolescence
• Family Problems
• Health & Body
• Emotion Management
• Social Skills & Problems
• Anxiety, Fear, & Stress
• Relationships & Marriage
• Depression & Mood
• Self-Esteem & Confidence
• Sexuality