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

My Approach to Helping

Counseling is a voluntary therapeutic experience that I feel is most effective when all parties are actively involved in the activities of the session. In my Tacoma-based practice, I conduct therapy from an emotionally-focused standpoint but also draw upon several other methods, including Gottman couples therapy, experiential and solution-focused methods. This may vary according to a client's needs and circumstances. I may use different activities in session that may include skills and communication practice, homework assignments, or other clinical assessments. It is your right to know and understand the purpose of these different exercises.

I am an LGBT-affirmative therapist who enjoys working with families, couples, and individuals in order to help them to build upon the strengths that they already possess. I see family problems as difficulties created by becoming stuck in patterns of behavior that may not be contributing to a sense of love and safety within the family or couple relationships. I attempt to help my clients rebuild these patterns to help create a healthier balance within these relationships by helping them to get in touch with emotions that might be underlying their problems.

Understanding the meanings behind actions, thoughts, and behaviors is an important part of successfully helping clients through difficult times, and I work my hardest to get to know and understand what each person and his/her family brings into therapy. I believe that personal happiness is dependent on finding a healthy balance between being an individual and being in a relationship with others, and coming to an understanding of each other's viewpoints with compassion within a relationship can lead to growth.

 

More Info About My Practice

Location
My office is located in the One Pacific Building in historic downtown Tacoma, near Stadium District. The building is fully ADA-accessible with ample on-street parking for 75 cents per hour.

Schedule an Appointment
I meet with clients Mondays through Wednesdays, 8:00am to 5:00pm, and on Thursdays from 8:00am to 8:00pm. Saturday appointments may be available by appointment only. To schedule an appointment, you can use my online appointment scheduler, my Contact Form, or call me at (206) 795-8784.

Fees
Therapy Services
My initial assessment fee is $160 for a 90-minute intake appointment. After this, my fees for sessions are $110 for a 50-minute session and $150 for a 90-minute session. A sliding fee scale is also available.

Consultation Services
For professional consultation, my fees are $50 per 30-minute increments. Consultation may be done in-person or by phone.
I accept cash, checks, and credit card payments (online through PayPal only).

Insurance Information
I am currently in the process of applying to insurance panels and will hopefully be able to accept reimbursement from insurance providers soon. Until then, my services can be billed to many insurance companies as an Out-of-Network Provider.

If your insurance accepts Out-of-Network Providers, I will happily provide you with an invoice and/or description of service so you can submit the bill for reimbursement from your insurance company. In this case, you would pay me up front, then file a claim yourself with your insurer. At this time, I do not accept other insurance arrangements.

 

Specific Issue(s) I'm Skilled at Helping With

Although my practice is open to any population and concern, I have had the opportunity to focus my client work in specific areas: Compulsive Hoarding [links to sections below]; Adolescents; Adult Family Therapy; and Individuals, Couples, and Families Compulsive Hoarding Hoarding behaviors are becoming more and more prevalent in our society today. We’re all familiar with the television shows that highlight these behaviors, often in a negative light. While a lot of focus is spent on the hoarder him or herself, what often is not talked about is how the family members of the hoarder are affected. More and more families are experiencing the difficulty of maintaining healthy relationships with family members who hoard. My own research and clinical work has focused on therapy not only with individuals who hoard, but also with families who wish to work on their relationships with the hoarder. I believe the best way to work with families is in developing compassion, understanding and communication with their loved one, which can be difficult when so much hurt and anger is involved. In my work, I have found that families can move from relationships built on resentment and frustration to relationships built on love and support. This is important, as research has found that family member support can significantly improve outcomes of treatment for addictive behaviors, like hoarding. I believe the best way to work with a hoarder is not to attempt to control their hoarding by i

 

How Psychotherapy Can Help

Psychotherapy typically involves a series of discussions between a trained professional meeting with a client to discover points of dissatisfaction or discomfort in the client’s life. The sessions usually revolve around a dialogue between the parties, but can sometime include projective activities such as art or play, particularly with children. The goal is to identify patterns occurring in the client’s behavior that serve to perpetuate the feelings of dissatisfaction or discomfort. The therapist and client work together to discover the events in the client’s lifetime of experience that have fostered these patterns, develop an understanding, and find solutions best suited for the client. Psychotherapy can be an effective form of treatment for anxiety, depression, disturbances in relationships, and a host of other mental health problems.

 

My View on the Purpose of Psychotherapy

 

What I Love about Being a Psychotherapist

 

My Role as a Therapist

 

My Therapy Focus

 

The Duration and Frequency of Therapy

Traditionally, sessions are once per week and last 50 minutes with an option for longer sessions for couples and families (usually around 90 minutes). In some cases sessions might be twice per week, at the beginning of treatment or during crisis. In other cases, sessions might be every other week. An every other week schedule is also common once issues have been resolved and termination is being considered. Therapy lasts for however long is it useful, which can be anywhere from a few sessions to working with a therapist for several years. I work collaboratively with my clients, so you can discuss these treatment-planning questions with me. Your needs and expectations are an important part of this planning process and ultimately your treatment. For general purposes, you can assume that if you are looking at an issue that has come up fairly recently, treatment may be shorter. If you are addressing some long-standing issues, treatment is usually longer.

Services I Provide

• Individual Therapy & Counseling
• Marriage, Couples, or Relationship Counseling
• Family Therapy
• Group Therapy
• Consultation
• Clinical Supervision

Ages I Work With

• Teens
• Adults
• Elders

Languages I Speak

• English

Groups I Work With

Compulsive hoarding

Therapy Approaches I Use

• Breathwork
• Collaborative Therapy / Collaborative Language Systems
• Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy
• Emotionally Focused Therapy
• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
• Family Systems Therapy
• Gottman Method
• Internal Family Systems
• Possibility Therapy
• Solution Focused Therapy
• Systems Theory /Therapy

Concerns & Issues I Help With

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