My Approach to Helping
You already have everything you need within yourself to live an amazing and purposeful life that is satisfying. My job is to help you discover your strengths, develop tools to help you utilize those strengths, and help you decide where you want to go with them. I strongly believe that clinical theory and models of therapy should fit the individual client and his/her needs, and that it is not appropriate to try and fit a client into a theory. This means that I may utilize EMDR and the FairyTale model of Trauma for one person to help them get where they wish to be, and for another I may be very existential... utilizing Logotherapy concepts or Gestalt. I do not try to fit my clients into a box of ideas. Rather, I trust that the client knows him/her self best and will be able to share enough of what he/she needs for me to adjust my tools and approaches to best suit that person. I do not particularly care for mental health labels, but can accurately utilize them to communicate with other professionals and insurance companies. Life is more complicated than a code and not every problem we seek professional help for needs to be labeled as an illness. I treat the whole person and work together with that person as a collaborative team. I do not fix symptoms. We search out the underlying cause together and address that so that symptoms are no longer an issue. While I am full of practical, concrete tools for coping with symptoms in the mean-time (a necessary help), my aim as a therapist is to always swing for the fences. I am not satisfied with you just managing. I aim to put myself out of a job.
More Info About My Practice
Insurance may cover all or part of my services. I accept HSA cards as well as all major credit/debit cards. I also accept No-Fault Insurance related to trauma from auto accidents.
I currently have a brief waiting list. My regular openings are on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Importance of the Client-Therapist Alliance
Too many clients come to me with previous counseling experiences that were poor or even harmful in this area. The Client-Therapist relationship is unique and when done well, a wonderful experience. I always begin by explaining to new clients the difference between friendship and this relationship. I am not your friend and this is a wonderful thing. It means that the experience of therapy is all about the person seeking the help. You do not need to ever worry about me or my feelings. I have a senior therapist that I can go to for me- I am taken care of- therapy is the one relationship where you are encouraged and expected to be all about yourself. Freed of the need for give and take in the relationship, my clients are safe to be completely themselves. I am not going to be offended, you could not shock me if you tried, you may completely fall apart in my counseling office, be terribly rude and "off the wall" in your own estimation, and I will still want to see you. If you ever have a counselor who behaves as if you have "hurt their feelings", that is a serious red flag. We are charged with the very important mission of being present and helpful to people when they are going through their worst times. It is never OK for it to become personal to the therapist, for expectations to be placed back on the client. This is a sacred trust. It is something I take very seriously.
