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

My Approach to Helping

My approach to counseling and therapy is to help each individual understand their own inner parts -- those aspects of ourselves with their own ways of thinking, feeling, or believing, some of which we like and some of which we don't. Our parts can pull us in different directions or keep us from achieving our goals. One part may want to leave a relationship while another part wants to stay. Or one part may want to change jobs while another wants stability. We may also have parts with feelings we don't fully understand, like anger, hopelessness, or anxiety. We may wonder why these feelings can be so intense at times. Sometimes we struggle with addictive or compulsive behaviors that we can't seem to get under control. Once we understand these parts, we can find ways to get them to shift or relax, so we are happier and more integrated, and we make better choices. It's important to know that we are not defective, "messed up," or flawed. We simply have parts that we don't understand. My goal in therapy is to help you find wholeness, integration, and healing.

 

More Info About My Practice

I specialize in dealing with depression, anxiety, stress, grief and loss, women's issues, and healing old traumas. I have more than 25 years of experience helping others, and I bring my own experiences of growth and healing into my work.

 

What I Love about Being a Psychotherapist

What I love about therapy is the opportunity to see people become happier and more compassionate with themselves. When people come into therapy, they are often arguing with themselves, fighting themselves, or frustrated with themselves for various reasons. Once we begin to see the sources of those internal conflicts and "stuck" places, clients realize they've only been trying to protect themselves somehow. Once they begin to develop compassion for themselves, change is much easier, and they begin the journey toward wholeness.

 

My Guiding Ethical Principles

Safety, safety, and safety. The therapy session has to feel absolutely safe to the client. For someone to open up and trust another human being with their deepest struggles, hurts, and fears, the therapist must feel like a completely safe person. This means total confidentiality, non-judgment, compassion, and acceptance. These are the guiding principles of a therapeutic relationship.

 

On the Fence About Going to Therapy?

I think most people are ambivalent when they start therapy. They wonder what to expect, whether it can really help, and how talking to a perfect stranger can be beneficial. Some wonder how simply talking can help, and others wonder how someone who doesn't know them could possibly give advice. Therapy is about far more than simply talking or getting advice. In fact, clients are the experts on themselves and can find their own answers if guided in the right direction. But most of us have a very hard time being objective about ourselves or seeing ourselves clearly. Good therapy is about bringing perspective, knowledge, and coaching to help a client move through their roadblocks and obstacles, clear out old traumas and hurts, and embrace all the parts of who they truly are.

Services I Provide

• Individual Therapy & Counseling

Ages I Work With

• Adults
• Elders

Languages I Speak

• English

Therapy Approaches I Use

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy /REBT
• Ecotherapy / Nature Therapy
• Holistic Psychotherapy
• Humanistic Psychology
• Integration of different therapy models
• Internal Family Systems
• Mindfulness Based Approaches
• Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy
• Person Centered / Rogerian
• Psychodynamic
• Transpersonal Psychotherapy

Concerns & Issues I Help With

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