Therapist Profile

My Approach to Helping

Everyone seeks wholeness and connection, but we often find ourselves individually isolated, lost in our relationships, and unable to find a way out. Couples can't communicate, adolescents act out, and people of all ages often cope with life stressors in destructive ways.

Although we may have to walk through difficult and painful situations, we do not have to walk alone. Good therapy should be more like a treat and less like a treatment. Although therapy is based on empirically-supported methods, I enjoy using humor and light-hearted banter, weaving stories into our sessions to help lighten your load so that we can jointly identify new coping strategies.

Therapy includes the sharing of life stories. From me, you might hear about raising cattle, learning to be a bee-keeper, or the process of training my donkey, "Moses" (who doesn't train so well but sure loves the Twinkies!) My own parents, family, and life experiences have shaped me. Your stories will come from your journey, and are what make you unique. Therapy is where you can examine yourself, learn who you are, and decide where you want to go.

Our therapy relationship will be based on an attitude of trust, together with respect and compassion. You will be in control of identifying areas of needed change, dissatisfaction, psychological pain, or relational or spiritual need. I will honor and support your journey, offering guidance to help you achieve your goals. I love seeing you achieve healing, and hearing how it radiates from you to others in your life.

Emotions can be perplexing, deceiving, and destructive. You may be stuck in a rut with the emotions of pain, fear, anger & shame. Communication and understanding can be improved so that other emotions such as happiness, joy, passion, peace, and love can be expressed. These are the emotions that will bring you healing.

If you are a couple or in a relationship, you may seek out therapy to enhance your sense of intimacy. Many times this involves financial matters, children and child-rearing, sex inside and outside of marriage/commitment, the balance between work and family, and relationships with family-of-origin and in-laws.

Adolescence has a unique set of demands and those who want to help often feel the least equipped to give help. I assist you if your family is addressing the challenges of drugs, alcohol, sexuality, and academic performance. Of course, your teens are asking for more independence, and are moving into deeper peer relationships that require more maturity and carry increased consequences. Clarifying expectations, maintaining mutual respect, and working cooperatively to achieve common goals are the basic elements of a successful movement to full adulthood.

Individuals frequently seek therapy related to grief, trauma or abuse, to learn new ways of coping, or simply to achieve personal growth and enhanced self-esteem. You may be at a point in your life where these might be your goals; or you may want to increase your sense of meaning and develop a deeper spiritual life. If so, I consider it an honor to nurture your particular and sacred personal journey.

I have developed an individualized 4-session pre-marital curriculum if you are beginning a life together with someone you love. Topics typically include communication (the #1 reason for divorce,) intimacy, boundaries, sex, managing emotions, conflict & problem-solving, and affair-proofing. Years of working with people in relationship is my motivation for wanting to equip you before you start the journey!

More Info About My Practice

I maintain an office close to the intersection of Montrose at Richmond: 4203 Montrose #230 Houston, Texas 77006 713-523-3334. For those that know the area, I am diagonally across the street from the shopping center that houses the Montrose library and the Black Lab pub.