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

My Approach to Helping

My first goal is to hear what problems concern you. I then work with you to re-address these dilemmas in new and more effective ways. As part of your growth, we may explore the family of origin sources of your hot button issues and of your patterns of dealing with difficulties (conflicts). Our main focus though will be on solving your current problems, including equipping you with the emotion management, inner calm, and communication skills that can enable you to enjoy a future of well-being.

 

More Info About My Practice

My office suite includes multiple therapists--mainly psychologists plus a psychiatrist, masters level psychotherapists, and an energy therapist with expertise in EFT, bioengergetics, kinesiology and Emotion Code treatment methods. Our fees range depending on our training levels and experience. The therapists in my suite share a secretary who is glad to work with you to arrange fees, payment schedules and appointment times. Please feel welcome to call or email my office to reach the secretaries and to discuss which therapist would be best suited for you.

If you would like to begin getting relationship help with a fun interactive program you can do from home, you might check out my inexpensive web-based program called PowerOfTwoMarriage. My young adult children and I designed this program, which is based on my book, The Power of Two, for people experiencing relationship bumps who would like to try getting inexpensive help from home before or in addition to going the counseling route.

 

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

My specialties are treatment of depression, anxiety, anger and marriage difficulties. In my book From Conflict to Resolution I explain how all of these difficulties stem from insufficiently collaborative conflict resolution, and can be remedied by readdressing the conflicts with more effective conflict resolution strategies. This premise holds true for both intrapsychic (within yourself) conflicts and for conflicts between people.

 

How Psychotherapy Can Help

Psychotherapy helps people by helping them to understand more clearly what is causing them emotional pain, and then by guiding them to solutions of these problems.

 

My View on the Purpose of Psychotherapy

The purpose of psychotherapy is to aid people in resolving the issues they have sought a therapist to help them with. I begin each session therefore by asking my clients what they want to focus on for that hour. By the end of the session, they should feel that they have made concrete progress on resolving these dilemmas.

 

What I Love about Being a Psychotherapist

One thing that I love about being a therapist is that there is always more to learn. I have added, for instance, a therapy professional who does energy therapies to my suite. His energy therapy techniques are astoundingly potent. We often work together on cases. Seeing the amazingly profound and rapid changes his techniques enable people to make thrills me. I encourage my clients to use his techniques rather than, or in addition to, my own for many specific kinds of problems. Energy therapies are to traditional talk therapies what alternative medicine like acupuncture is to traditional medical practices.

 

My Role as a Therapist

I see my role as involving three hats: 1)Healer. When I am wearing my healer hat my job is to alleviate painful emotional states such as anger, depression and anxiety. 2) Guide from conflict to resolution. I need to be expert in the pathways from conflict to resolution to keep my clients safe along the way and to be sure they end up feeling fully pleased with the solutions to their issues, dilemmas and conflicts. 3)Coach. As coach, I teach skills so that my clients can learn how to keep negative emotions such as anxiety, depression and anger minimal and fill their lives instead with positive well-being, joy, and gratifying relationships.

 

My Therapy Focus

My focus is on helping people to resolve whatever issues trouble them.

 

On the Fence About Going to Therapy?

Actually, therapy is fun. Yes, we talk about problems, but finding solutions to your problems can feel creative and uplifting.

 

The Duration and Frequency of Therapy

Therapy takes anywhere from one session to months or years. My typical case is probably around three months, but many clients need fewer sessions than that, and clients who have experienced distress for many years need more. As to when therapy is complete, that's the client's decision. My tendency is to encourage my birdies to fly out of the nest as soon as they can. At the same time, if clients feel they still need more help, they are the judges.

Services I Provide

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

Ages I Work With

• Adults

Languages I Speak

• English

Groups I Work With

Adults, couples

Therapy Approaches I Use

• Anger Management
• Body-Mind Psychotherapy
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy /REBT
• Conflict Resolution Therapy
• Depth-Oriented Brief Therapy
• Family Systems Therapy
• Guided Therapeutic Imagery
• Integration of different therapy models
• Interpersonal Psychotherapy
• Relationship Enhancement Therapy

My Blog Posts

• Part V: Building a Great Marriage
• Building a Great Marriage Part IV: Tone of Voice
• What is the Difference between Indirect and Direct Communication?
• Couples Benefit from Cooperative Dialogue Skills - What Does it Mean?
• How do Effective Marriage Partners Make Decisions Together?
• How Can Married Couples Respond When They Discover They Have Differences?
• What Does Communication Have to do With a Good Relationship?
• Building a Great Marriage
• Individual Versus Couple Therapy Formats for Treatment of Marital Problems
• Changing Curses to Blessings
• Therapists as Experts in Conflict Resolution

Concerns & Issues I Help With

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