My Approach to Helping
I have a deep respect for people who reach out for help. It's not easy. The problems that bring us to therapy require a committed, compassionate professional who knows how to ask the right questions, who is skilled at helping people access and discuss emotions that are troubling them, who has the experience to provide practical feedback and who has the education to provide state-of-the-art information. So often we blame ourselves for having problems. I am especially interested in helping people understand how their problems developed, knowing that their problems developed because of logical reactions to difficult circumstances, so that we can move beyond the shame and get into effective problem-solving and emotional healing.
One of my strengths as a therapist is that most people feel comfortable with me right from the start. Research shows that the most important factor of a successful therapy is the quality of the relationship between therapist and patient. I encourage my patients to talk to me about how it feels working with me. I am good at helping people feel understood, but if you don't feel that way I want to know. It often has something to do with the specific problem you are seeking help with.