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

My Approach to Helping

Life can be hard. We've all been through low times. I work with people who have all kinds of different problems. Depending upon many factors, such as personality and interest, I guide my clients toward creative activities. I believe creativity is inherently healing, and will lead us to our life's passion, be it gardening, painting or golf or volunteering - the possibilities are endless. Every session is different; sometimes we just talk. Using my experience and training as an Art Therapist, Creativity Development Specialist and Life and Youth & Family Coach, I explore with clients the many ways they can enhance the joy in their lives and in the lives of their loved ones. Sessions in my Traverse City office; fees are reasonable - please contact me for more info.

 

More Info About My Practice

Because I do not accept insurance, I keep my rates reasonable; just email me or call - you'll be satisfied.

Here are some examples of how I've helped clients:

5 year old "Libby" was afraid of clouds - you can imagine the problems this caused in her family. Instead of trying to understand "why," I used an art-based behavioral approach. Over the course of 10 sessions, Libby drew an outdoor picture every session - first with blue, cloudless skies. Then she allowed me to add one tiny cloud to her sky. Then she agreed to draw a cloud in her own sky. By the 10th session, she was drawing pictures with clouds and was no longer afraid of clouds in real life.

13 year old "Sam" hated school. He had learning disabilities, he felt like nobody liked him and he preferred to stay at home playing video games. When he first came into my office, he was reluctant and resistant. In our first session, we played cards and got to know each other. In further sessions, we discovered he could draw video game characters, so we made a book with his drawings and a video game storyline. His self esteem increased, which helped him socially: he told me about a couple of new friends he'd made at school. At my suggestion, Sam made a life story board, using magainze photo collage. For this project, I encouraged him to let his dreams be "big" - he filled his board with lots of exciting possibilities, some that surprised himself. After about 6 months, Sam's work as a client was finished. He was doing better at school, he had good friends, his parents were pleased to witness his enthusiasim and emotional growth and Sam was planning to take guitar lessons next.

"Elise" was a happily married adult with two young children. She came to me because she felt a little depressed and "blah." In our early sessions, Elise completed a few different art projects - she drew a picture of her childhood bedroom, she collaged a box with beautiful flowered paper and planned to use the box to hold her best dreams. Elise continued to use flower and garden images in her creative in-session work, so I asked her about gardening. She'd never tried gardening but said "yes" she was interested, so she purchased a book about it and brought it to a session. Together we talked about what kind of garden she might like; and she set about creating her first garden - full of all different kinds of flowers. In Elise's last session, I told her that she had a glow of happiness that was so different from when she first came in. She agreed with me, and about a year later called to "check in": she had expanded her gardening passion to sharing it with the elderly by running volunteer horticultural programs at nursing homes. She felt so pleased to be able to enjoy something for herself while still being able to be a focused and loving stay-at-home mom.

 

My View on the Purpose of Psychotherapy

The purpose of psychotherapy is for the therapist to provide "containment" of the client's difficult emotions and to listen and validate the feelings and thoughts of the client. This process provides comfort and clarity for the client, which then leads to improvement in the client's quality of life and decision-making processes.

 

On the Fence About Going to Therapy?

Please remember that you can "sample" therapists. Just because you have one session with a therapist doesn't mean you must commit to continuing with them. You can also schedule a meet-and-greet session with most therapists that might help you decide how you feel about therapy. The most important thing is to remember that you are in charge of your own life, so starting therapy is your decision and no one else's decision. I believe there is a kind of "magic" that happens in therapy sessions; therapists have been trying to define this "magic" for years. All we know is that it works, for most people.

Services I Provide

• Individual Therapy & Counseling
• Group Therapy
• Coaching
• Online Counseling / Phone Therapy

Ages I Work With

• Children
• Teens
• Adults
• Elders

Languages I Speak

• English

Groups I Work With

Creativity development, "Find Your Passion" issues, Life&Family;Wellness Coaching, domestic abuse survivors, divorce/considering divorce, children/adolescents, geriatric issues (loneliness, fear, neglect, life planning)

Therapy Approaches I Use

• Art Therapy
• Creative Art Therapy
• Journal Therapy
• Mindfulness Based Approaches
• Music Therapy
• Play Therapy
• Poetry Therapy

Concerns & Issues I Help With

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