My Approach to Helping
As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a helping professional. Coming from a family that always underscored the value of looking out for the next guy certainly had its early influence on me. From there came extensive training- and good training, which had its own positive influences. My Ph.D. training, as well as my training in psychoanalysis (which required my analysis), helped me to understand how huge a decision it is, and how complicated the feelings are, to walk into a therapist's office.
With my training, I have become fascinated with those symptoms, stubborn as they are, that cling to us mercilessly. How do we understand why it is so hard to rid ourselves of these? I have come to believe that, due to our own unique histories, we form and carry underlying thoughts, feelings, and beliefs that perpetuate feelings like anxiety or depression. I find it extremely important to understand these underlying factors; I also find it just as important to meet the heart and soul of each person in a safe environment so that strategies for change can be uniquely tailored, so that a renewed sense of hope, trust, and optimism about oneself can be achieved.