My Approach to Helping
I have over 30 years' experience helping adults solve personal and work-related problems, break habits and addictions, and find clarity, self-acceptance, and peace. My clinical style is supportive and present-focused, incorporating psychodynamic theory, cognitive-behavioral techniques, mindfulness practices, and scientific research. Clients generally find me to be kind, thoughtful, and non-judgmental. I have a sense of humor, and believe in the healing power of laughter (as well as tears).
I enjoy meeting and working with people from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds, including BIPOC individuals, and I respect my clients' personal values, religious beliefs, and gender identity. My job as a therapist is to provide a safe and supportive space for my clients, and I view counseling as a process of guiding people toward greater resiliency, self-awareness, and overall well-being.
More Info About My Practice
My office hours are usually Monday - Friday, 10 am - 6 pm. My fees vary, with $150 as the typical fee for a 45-50 minute session. I am a provider for a few EAP and health insurance panels, and will provide a superbill for clients to seek reimbursement from other insurance. I accept credit, debit, and HSA cards via IvyPay and PayPal.
As of March 2020, I am primarily providing telehealth (video and phone) sessions, for California residents. I offer limited in-person sessions in my Pleasanton office, following established COVID-19 protocols.
If you use the Good Therapy email contact form, please include your phone number and some good times to reach you. I have a contact form on my website as well. Please keep your description of your personal issues brief, to protect your own confidentiality, as I cannot guarantee complete privacy with email.
I also teach mindfulness classes and offer mindfulness-based groups for preventing relapses in addiction or depression. You can find information about these on my website. My personal experience with meditation as well as my training in mindfulness-based interventions informs my work with all of my clients.
Specific Issue(s) I'm Skilled at Helping With
Are you concerned about your drinking, drug use, or other potentially addictive behavior, but feel traditional 12-step or rehab programs are not for you? I offer a personalized behavioral assessment, and together we'll develop an integrative treatment plan, tailored to your needs and finances, with the primary goal to change your thinking about (and your relationship to) alcohol, drugs, or whatever the object of your addictive behavior may be.
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.