My Approach to Therapy
Good therapy produces amazing results. It meets you where you are and provides the guidance you need to get to where you want to be. Good therapy promotes healing, positive change, and personal growth. It helps you develop healthy patterns that fit your own personal values and needs, rather than someone else's.
I offer life management services. I work closely with the people in my care and help them address the issues that may be keeping them from experiencing more meaning, fulfillment, and happiness in their lives. Together, we will reduce your stress and help you thrive as you deal with work, love, family, and other significant life experiences.
My expertise lies in helping people find clarity, especially if they are confused or unsure why they don't feel well. I can help you develop mindfulness, experience personal growth, and resolve anything from life transitions to relationship issues to spiritual concerns. I provide insight and direction to adults of all ages, from college students to the elderly.
People who had negative experiences with their previous therapist or who are entering therapy for the first time usually enjoy working with me. I am an LGBT+ ally who recognizes the value of individual differences.
My Practice & Services
I offer in-person appointments in Sarasota, FL, and video telehealth to 41 states and the District of Columbia. When you reach out to me, you will only talk to me - no secretaries or assistants.
My View on the Purpose of Psychotherapy
Everybody suffers. It doesn't matter who you are, how much money or love you have, or the cards that life have dealt you. I wanted to become a therapist when I realized that no amount of luck, privilege, or success shields people from the reality of human suffering. I draw from both Western and Eastern psychology to understand suffering and how to reduce it and heal from it.
My Therapy Focus
I don't approach therapy with any agenda other than to help you feel better and stronger. I won't insist on a specific way I like to do therapy, but will instead listen carefully to determine what approach to therapy will work best for you. We will work on your goals not mine, and will do so in a way that aligns with your values, not mine.
On the Fence About Going to Therapy?
I get it. The thought of therapy can be scary, and the thought of trusting a total stranger with your most personal experiences and feelings makes no sense at all. We won't dive into anything you're not ready for until you've had a chance to vet me - I know that trust has to be earned. Whether therapy is new to you or your last therapist(s) let you down or just wasn't helpful, reach out, ask me any questions you have, and THEN decide whether you want to give this a try.
Important Factors for Choosing a Therapist
Don't fall in to the trap of believing that the best therapist for you is someone just like you (age, sex, gender, religion, race, etc.). What you need is someone who can listen to you skillfully enough to begin to understand what it is like to be you - uniquely you. That's my skillset.
My View on the Nature of 'Disorders'
Most psychological concerns (e.g., anxiety, addiction) are just normal personality traits that have grown to big or have gone unchecked too long. The goal isn't to change who you are, but to help learn to manage who you are more effectively in a way that will make you happy. The goal is to put you back in charge of your life when possible, and learning to be more resilient to the things you can't control (like other people or health problems).