My Approach to Helping
My job is to help you to find your true calling, to support your growth in the areas you want most, and to show you how to be the creator of your best life. I believe that therapy should be compelling, revealing and enjoyable. Otherwise, why go?
Most of us experience feelings of being stuck, anxious, depressed, lonely, unlovable, and afraid. Once we finally admit to our feelings, it can be difficult to know where to begin and with whom. This is when you need a safe place to process your emotions, gain clarity and explore your feelings with a trusted companion and confidante.
It would be my honor to create that safe place for you as you embark on your journey. I believe you have within you the ability to discover and create the life you wish for and deserve. Our work together can be a collaborative process focused on identifying your feelings, finding understanding, learning new coping skills and finding a greater sense of purpose and joy.
I’m told that my therapy style is warm, energetic and that I have a creative approach to therapy. I’m naturally actively engaged during every session. I listen deeply, but I also comment and communicate about what you’re experiencing. I’ve been in psychotherapy personally for over 30 years so I know what it's like to be on both sides of the therapeutic relationship. I believe that being an effective, kind and compassionate therapist means knowing when to talk and when to listen. I bring a sense of genuineness and openness to my sessions, as well as humor when appropriate. I’m a firm believer that a strong therapeutic relationship is the foundation of therapy and that you should feel comfortable to discuss anything on your mind.
More Info About My Practice
I’m a licensed marriage and family therapist with 17 years of experience providing therapy to adults, children, couples, and families. In addition to being a psychotherapist, I’m a best-selling author of several books and a published researcher.
My education, training, work and life experience have brought me to a place of inner knowing in my work. My deep-seated belief is that we all have the ability to change and become the person we want to be. The experiences of our past mold us into who we are, and we unconsciously go about our daily existence carrying the emotional load of all those experiences. I've found that developing an awareness of the true nature of our past and using this awareness to build our future can be the key to a peaceful, balanced existence.
I see a lot of clients who feel stuck, overwhelmed and dissatisfied in their day-to-day lives. They initially come to therapy seeking further insight into their emotions. My job is to help people take concrete steps towards leading an authentic, meaningful, and intentional life.
I embrace a holistic approach and view therapy as a process that examines all the parts of what makes up a person. I believe that we are all stuck in one way or another and that getting “unstuck” involves connecting with the deepest part of ourselves in the most meaningful way possible. A holistic approach involves going to a deeper level by bringing into awareness the person’s true, inner self. Because a holistic philosophy in therapy addresses the body, mind, and spirit, it seeks a balance, enabling us to become what people often call our authentic selves.
Importance of the Client-Therapist Alliance
I believe that a strong therapeutic relationship is essential for clients to get the most out of therapy. In fact, research has shown that it's as important, if not more so, than the treatment modality chosen by the therapist. In some approaches to therapy, such as person-centered and experiential therapy, the therapeutic relationship is considered to be the foundation of effective treatment.
In therapy, I focus on fostering mutuality and collaboration with you. Greater mutuality is the idea that psychotherapy is a two-way relationship in which the therapist and client are equal partners in the therapy process. As a therapist, I make this stance apparent in an ongoing way by, for example, disclosing my thoughts and feelings when appropriate and actively inviting feedback from you about how therapy is going. While the therapeutic alliance naturally varies over the course of therapy, I believe it deserves special attention in order for you to get the most out of therapy.
