My Approach to Helping

My approach to helping people is founded on relationship. I strive to establish a personal, yet professional, relationship with each of my clients. It is my belief that gaining someone's trust is paramount to successful healing. I focus on a non-judgmental approach in which the individual or couple feels safe sharing their innermost thoughts and feelings. The goal is healing, not shame or blame. I emphasize that healing often does not translate into "cure." In many cases there is no "cure" only the ability to cope in a healthy way with that which distresses them. My passion is helping people negotiate the often difficult road of life and helping them develop the skills necessary to function in a healthy way without my continued involvement.

More Info About My Practice

I operate from a Christian worldview. This does not mean that I see only those who hold a similar worldview. I believe spiritual well-being is critical to an individual's well-being, but they must choose their own path to such well-being. My desire is to help those who need and want help regardless of their belief system, ethnicity, race, gender or sexual orientation. I believe the counseling relationship is about healing that which distresses those that come to me, not adding to it.

On the Fence About Going to Therapy?

Deciding to seek therapy is often a very difficult decision. Society teaches us, particularly men, to be self-reliant. The thought of admitting we cannot handle a problem(s) on our own can provoke thoughts of inadequacy, inferiority and embarrassment. These feelings are often exacerbated by the prospect of sharing our deepest darkest secrets with someone we have never met before. Sharing them with a friend or relative often carries a fear of judgment and and a change in the relationship. The reality is we live in complex and stressful world in which no one "has it all together" no matter what front they put on. Seeking therapy is simply acknowledging what perhaps some others do not and takes far more courage than "toughing it out."

Importance of the Client-Therapist Alliance

What is referred to as the "Client-Therapist Alliance" is perhaps more accurately described as the "client-therapist" relationship. To be effective it must be a professional one characterized by appropriate boundaries. It is most effective when it is one based on a warm, caring and non-judgmental atmosphere. This facilitates the disclosure of what is most distressing to the individual and allows me to get to the root of the problem they are experiencing. It also increases the individual's receptivity to my treatment efforts. In fact research has repeatedly demonstrated that the quality of the "Client-Therapist Alliance" is by far the greatest determining factor in healing.