My Approach to Helping
I am strongly committed to practice that is based on the best science-supported innovations of my field. My relationship with you is what will best predict how much you get out of our work, and so my highest priority is to create a supportive, compassionate environment in which you can be fully yourself. I will accept and understand both your strengths and the challenges you bring to treatment. I will integrate a strong foundation in cognitive behavioral therapy with a wide range of other approaches that have been shown to alleviate suffering and help people create their best lives. We will do more than just talk -- you will come away with specific tools, assignments, and reading to help you move toward your goals. I will regularly check in with you to make sure you are getting what you need from treatment and will modify my approach to suit your preferences.
More Info About My Practice
I warmly welcome clients of any racial or ethnic group, sexual orientation or identity. I am comfortable working with people on both sides of the political spectrum and with all religious belief systems.
I do not do couples therapy except for a unique form of counseling for couples called discernment counseling. It is helpful when one person is strongly considering leaving the relationship and the other wants the relationship to endure. Call me or see my website for more info.
My therapy arsenal includes a unique and highly effective form of psychotherapy called TEAM-CBT. It can offer rapid relief from depression and anxiety and help you change personal habits. It also offers unique methods for improving your relationships with others. Call me and we'll talk about this transformative approach to treatment and whether it's right for you!
Specific Issue(s) I'm Skilled at Helping With
Men's issues, including sexual and relationship concerns
Relationship distress, especially when only one person is coming to therapy
Anxiety disorders
Panic and agoraphobia
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Career indecision and other work problems
Caregiver stress
Handling life transitions
How Psychotherapy Can Help
If people understood how effective psychotherapy truly is everyone would go! Psychotherapy effectiveness rates are on par with other mainstream medical interventions include those used for heart disease and stroke. We also compare favorably to medical approaches for mental health symptoms. For example, most studies that have compared psychotherapy to antidepressant medication for depression have found psychotherapy to be at least as effective (and sometimes even superior) with fewer side effects and a lower chance of relapse once treatment is discontinued! These benefits are enhanced when the therapist measures outcomes and gets regular feedback from clients. If you are suffering and have been putting off getting therapy because you were unsure of whether or how it could help, make the call! The odds are that you will be very glad you did.
My View on the Purpose of Psychotherapy
I believe that the primary purpose of psychotherapy is to reduce suffering and improve quality of life. My focus isn't on mental illness or disorder. Life is full of difficult moments, and simply having a good job, adequate income, or a family who loves you does not mean that you might not need help. Of course NOT having those things can make life very difficult, as does having experienced any kind of traumatic or painful event. Regardless, everyone has times when they would benefit from talking to an objective, compassionate listener with tools and ideas that can help you to more effectively deal with whatever you are going through. Don't make the mistake of thinking that you only crazy people need therapy so you shouldn't bother. It can be helpful to anyone who is feeling stuck or confused about how to get to a better emotional state. And if you ARE feeling crazy?.... well then you've come to the right place!
What I Love about Being a Psychotherapist
People sometimes ask me if I get burned out or tired of helping others. I don't! Actually the longer I am in this field the more I love it. I have always had a genuine interest in people and a natural ability to be curious and nonjudgmental. I am internally driven to learn all I can about what helps people to thrive. I read widely in psychology, behavioral economics, psychiatry, and psychotherapy research to make sure I have the best chance possible of identifying what might be helpful to you. I feel genuinely honored and grateful to be able to do this important and sacred work.
What I Usually Need to Know to Help
If you visited a physician wouldn't you expect that they would measure your blood pressure before prescribing a blood pressure medication, and that once you started taking the medicine they would reevaluate you regularly to make sure it was working? I believe that I too need to evaluate what's wrong before I can formulate an effective treatment plan, and then I need to regularly measure the results of our work to make sure you are achieving your goals. I am most likely to be a good fit for someone who values this kind of evidence-based care and who will be willing to provide me with regular formal and informal feedback to make sure we're heading in the right direction. You will be my collaborator and teammate in making sure you get exactly what you need from our work.
Important Factors for Choosing a Therapist
Effective therapy is all about fit. Just as you would never take a job without first having a thorough interview, it can be helpful to interview several therapists before deciding which one seems most likely to help with your particular needs. To that end, I offer free 15-30 minute phone appointments to evaluate whether I'm what you're looking for before your first visit.
Clinicians who offer sliding scale payment structures may offer lower or reduced fees based on an individual's ability to pay. Please contact this clinician for more details regarding their fees or sliding scale policy.