In the past when I have received feedback from clients, I have always been told they feel I am authentic. My clients know I care about them. My tone is comfortable, relaxed, genuine, and kind.

I am a board-certified psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner dedicated to delivering empathetic, research-driven care to individuals of all ages. I have worked with clients facing a range of mental health challenges, including anxiety, depression, trauma, attention-deficit hyperactivity (ADHD), posttraumatic stress (PTSD), mood diagnoses, and other psychiatric conditions. Many individuals seek insight, emotional stability, and actionable strategies to navigate stressors, strengthen relationships, and regain a sense of control. I am particularly committed to empowering clients seeking deeper self-understanding, resilience, and working toward meaningful, lasting change.

If there is one thing I hope you take away from an encounter with me, it is this: you are precious and valuable. That belief is at the heart of what I call Treasure Therapy. I believe every person has inherent dignity and worth, even when life, relationships, failure, shame, conflict, or loss have made it difficult to feel that way. My passion is engaging people in deeper therapeutic encounters that lead toward hope, meaning, connection, growth, and healing. I am especially passionate about helping people understand the deeper patterns shaping their lives and relationships. Rather than focusing only on symptoms or surface-level solutions, I work from a whole-person perspective that considers your emotions, relationships, history, body, beliefs, values, sexuality, spirituality, and the systems you are part of. Couples therapy is one of my primary specialties, and it has been for more than 15 years. With a PhD in Marriage and Family Therapy, I am trained to understand not only each partner individually, but also the relational system they create together: the patterns of attachment, conflict, intimacy, communication, and protection that can keep even loving couples stuck. My role is not to decide who is right or wrong. It is to understand the relationship itself, help each partner feel heard, identify the cycle underneath the conflict, and help you create a healthier, more connected way of relating. I work with couples dealing with recurring conflict, emotional disconnection, communication difficulties, trust injuries, sexual and intimacy concerns, differences in desire, parenting stress, life transitions, attention-deficit hyperactivity (ADHD) and neurodivergence within relationships, and questions about whether or how the relationship can move forward. I also enjoy working with couples who are not in crisis, but want greater closeness, emotional safety, intimacy, and depth. I also work with individuals around relationships, ADHD and neurodivergence, self-worth, anxiety, depression, sexuality, intimacy, identity, spiritual questions, life transitions, and the challenge of integrating the different parts of ourselves into a more satisfying life. I have been counseling individuals, couples, families, and groups since 2007. I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in Maryland, Washington, DC, and California, and I am approved by Maryland to provide clinical supervision to therapists in training. My approach is evidence-based, but I also believe therapy should feel human. You should not feel like a diagnosis, a checklist, or a problem to be fixed. Good therapy should involve curiosity, honesty, compassion, challenge, and real engagement. I want to understand not only what is happening in your life, but also what it means to you, and what kind of life and relationships you want to create. Because I am also a former pastor, I can integrate faith and spirituality into therapy for clients who want that. For some people, faith is a central source of meaning, hope, identity, and strength. For others, religion may be complicated, painful, or not important at all. You do not need to share my beliefs, or hold any religious beliefs, to feel welcome here. I work with people of many faiths, backgrounds, identities, cultures, relationship experiences, and life choices. My goal is not to impose my worldview on you, but to understand yours and help you live more fully in alignment with what matters to you. Outside the therapy room, I have been married for nearly two decades, and I am the father of two boys. I understand personally that relationships do not happen in a laboratory. Marriage, parenting, work, stress, health, sex, money, faith, family history, and ordinary exhaustion all interact in real life. If you are looking for a therapist who will go deeper than surface-level advice, who understands the complexity of relationships, and who will engage you with warmth, honesty, and respect, I would be glad to work with you. Whether you are trying to repair a relationship, deepen one that is already good, rediscover intimacy, understand yourself better, heal from something painful, or simply become more fully who you are, I believe there are treasures within you worth discovering.

There are times in all of our lives where we find ourselves at a crossroads. Do I continue on the path I am on, or is it time to pause, dig in, and face my fear, addiction, compulsion, hesitancy, anger, patterns, issues, struggles, etc.? This can be a very frightening crossroads, and having the courage to face ourselves, our past and what may be before us can be very fleeting. I meet people at this crossroads, and together we "dig in", and begin to explore what needs exploring, mend what needs mending, fight what needs fighting and forgive what needs forgiving. As they say in AA, I believe we are spiritual beings in physical world and as a Pastoral Counselor I am able and willing to explore how these two realities are integrated in our lives. Please feel free to give me a call with any of your questions or concerns.

From my perspective life is about learning and growing. We have continual opportunities to learn and grow. Sometimes this means accepting ourselves and our situation with more realistic expectations- grieving or forgiving ourselves or others. Sometimes this means making a conscious choice about how we want to live differently and having the courage to make the first steps in that direction. As my mentor therapist used to say---- a therapist's role is to comfort the discomforted and discomfort the comfortable- we need both at different times. My role is to help guide you and walk with you in your journey. Thank you for the privilege and honor of walking with you and helping you navigate life in more balanced and authentic ways!

At A Balanced Perspective LLC, we believe healing happens through consistent, ethical, and compassionate care. We serve adolescents, teens, youth, and adults through virtual and in-person services, offering integrated behavioral health and substance use disorder treatment grounded in trauma-informed practice. As a CARF-accredited provider, our work reflects established standards of quality, safety, and accountability. We support individuals experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, substance use challenges, major life transitions, as well as other behavioral health concerns. Additionally, we support those who are highly capable, driven, and accustomed to putting others first. Our clinicians understand that people are shaped not only by symptoms, but by systems, families, communities, responsibilities, and lived experiences. By integrating community-based care with clinical treatment, we help clients move toward sustainable healing and improved functioning. Reaching out for support can feel daunting. Our role is to provide a steady, respectful space where change can unfold at a pace that feels manageable and supported.

I believe in the strength and resiliency of the human spirit and consider it an honor to work with people on a daily basis. My job is to create a safe and nurturing environment so that each individual feels comfortable and supported as they work on their personal goals. Everyone's goals are as different as the individuals themselves, and in order to honor that individuality, my approach is eclectic and personalized to each person. I always encourage and welcome feedback in order to continually ensure that the techniques being used are effective and keep progress moving in a positive direction.

It is my highest responsibility to provide a safe environment that induces my client's trust and alliance. I am on my client's journey without being judgmental. Each client is unique and each client well-being is of the uttermost importance. My client's needs and desires are highly considered. The therapy I provide allows my clients to address their concerns, fears, and issues. I assist my clients in finding ways to better communicate and to resolve issues without engaging in conflict. My client's who seek relationship counseling engage in a process that requires their active participation so that they are able to utilize coping skills, techniques, and mechanisms they can use outside of counseling. My office enables my clients to experience an environment that is safe, tranquil and serene. Clients are able to learn more about themselves, their partners, and their families.

Do you ever feel like there's an instruction book to life that everyone got but you? Does it seem like everyone else "has it all together" and you're just trying to fake your way through life? Not a good feeling, is it? Believe it or not, you're not alone, and you're not as bad as you think. You've learned ways to think and feel about yourself that made sense in the past, but they aren't working so well now. I specialize in helping my clients identify their unhelpful ways of thinking and feeling so they can choose to think and feel differently about themselves and improve their self-esteem. I also help clients to process traumatic experiences, both "big T" traumas (like combat, sexual and physical assaults, and car accidents), and "little T" traumas (like negative interactions that lead to a poor self-image). Contact me today so I can help you to understand why you shouldn't believe everything you think!

Typically I work with clients who have unresolved trauma and is still stuck in problematic behavioral patterns. They have often done some "talk therapy" in the past but didn’t really find it that helpful. I use more experiential methods to help you make lasting changes that improve your quality of life, not just provide stabilization. I’ve found that talk therapy can be one of the slowest ways to do therapy, and that if you ignore sensory input from the body, then you’re only doing therapy from the neck up. Whether you’re facing new challenges or struggling with ongoing circumstances, you may be feeling overwhelmed, hopeless, helpless, or anxious. You may also have slipped back into unhealthy patterns of behavior that you worked hard to change. I take a collaborative approach to therapy, and I’ll tell you up front that I don’t have a crystal ball or magic wand! I believe that we each have a unique journey, and while I do have education and training as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Maryland, I haven’t lived your life, and I’m not an expert on YOU.

I believe therapy works best when it feels like a safe and genuine conversation. My role is to listen closely, help you feel understood, and work with you to uncover patterns that may be holding you back. I draw on both psychotherapy and psychiatry, so we can address the whole picture—your thoughts, emotions, relationships, and, when helpful, medication support. I value collaboration and tailor treatment to each person’s unique story and goals. My hope is that our work together not only eases current struggles but also helps you grow in ways that feel meaningful and lasting.

Life often presents us with difficulties and struggles. Sometimes having someone who is willing to listen without judging what you are going through can help you with sorting out your problems and difficulties. Telling your story enables you to come to terms with your current experiences. You may be dealing with difficult life events, feeling sad, anxious or depressed. Therapy can help you to learn coping skills and techniques to solve problems. I encourage you to reach out today to see how I can be of help to you. I have worked with clients with anxiety, depression, trauma, addictions and mood disorders. I enjoy helping those who struggle with a desire to change behaviors. I am passionate about working with those who are experiencing stress or anxiety and helping those dealing with problems with self-esteem or difficulties in their current or past relationships.