My Approach to Helping
I bring passion and an engaging spirit to my therapy sessions with couples, families, and individuals. I strive to bring out the very best in my clients, and I aim to inspire them to achieve their dreams by developing a supportive and safe environment in which each client can strive for deeper self-awareness and exploration.
I specialize in relationship issues and my core commitment is to help people have the best possible relationship they can have. Part of my approach is to orient people to good relationship skills, especially communication, problem solving and conflict management skills.
Areas of special focus include remarriage and step family issues, infidelity, and couples struggling to reconcile their different religious identities. I rejoice when couples leave therapy either having healed their relationship wounds andor having found a deeper level of connection and relationship satisfaction.
More Info About My Practice
I am a certified therapist, supervisor, and trainer in Relationship Enhancement (RE) therapy. I'm also on the training faculty of the National Institute of Relationship Enhancement (NIRE).This non-profit organization is based out of Kensington, Maryland, and provides training for professionals in the mental health field and couples workshops for laypeople. To learn more about NIRE's programs, which include a Mastering the Mysteries of Love weekend workshop for couples, please visit NIRE's website: www.nire.org.
I have facilitated church retreats, professional training sessions, and couples workshops both in the and abroad. I regularly present at professional mental health conferences and present continuing education programs at universities across the East coast.
In 2005 I published my book, Relationship Enhancement Therapy: Healing Through Deep Empathy and Intimate Dialogue, through Routledge. I hold a PhD from Southern Methodist University in religious studies and philosophy. I also served as a theology, philosophy, and religious studies instructor in Washington, DC, at both Georgetown and American University.
My diverse background and my own spiritual journey have benefited my work as a therapist by deepening the insights I can offer into people's struggles and values. My goal is to help my clients achieve deeper self-awareness and a greater appreciation for their own beliefs and values, and I strive to help my clients live authentic lives.