When someone starts therapy, I'm aware that they have tried to solve their problems on their own and been unsuccessful and are oftentimes feeling badly and vulnerable. I try to be as gentle as possible and help people understand that the vast majority of their feelings are normal and manageable. I utilize strong people skills to help my clients feel as comfortable and safe as possible. When appropriate, I share my life-experiences as a means of helping people explore their deepest thoughts, feelings, and struggles. I have found that this helps people seek different and frequently more effective ways of coping with life's challenges. I believe that my education has provided me with the necessary book knowledge, which I couple with over eleven years experience as a therapist and eighteen years in the helping professions to develop a counseling experience that is custom tailored to the needs of my clients. This often means that I do what works, while being cautious to work in a professional manner, utilizing mainstream techniques that have been shown to be helpful. Please give me a call to see if I'm the right therapist for you.