My Approach

While we cannot change certain events, we can gain the tools and self-knowledge that enable us to navigate difficulties in healthy ways. To assist this process, an essential aspect of my counseling is to facilitate increased self-awareness. When we know ourselves well, we can help ourselves heal better, both physically and emotionally.

Mine is a holistic approach. While there is much we do not understand about the intricate connection between the body and mind, we do know that our health and well-being are determined by a complex combination of psychological and biological factors.

I believe that change can occur through a trusting and safe therapeutic relationship and within that relationship one can challenge old ways of relating to self and others, develop new skills, find alternatives to unwanted behaviors, and move beyond old pain.

Therapeutic Style

My counseling style is grounded in Existential psychology which focuses attention on the ‘here and now’ of our experience in order to enhance the ability to make choices, find meaning, and understand oneself more fully; all of this work is done in order to live an authentic life. When illness strikes, it is often necessary to explore what it means to live authentically with the new changes brought on by illness.

I work with clients to help nourish self-compassion, and to cultivate mindfulness-awareness in the present moment; combined, I believe these constitute the foundation of overall wellness. I utilize cognitive-behavioral techniques and stress management methods in my work. I offer individual therapy to individuals and groups aged 19 or older.

Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy (RO DBT): I have completed (2022) the training to provide both individual and RODBT group class services to clients. This training is labeled by the treatment developer, Dr. Thomas Lynch and his team: Level 3 RO DBT Practitioner Pathway. This training fully qualifies me to provide both individual RO DBT sessions and RO DBT group skills class for those for whom it is a good therapeutic match. RO DBT is a therapy supported in its findings of efficacy for anxiety and depression, and other issues, by over 20 years of research. It is a powerful model of therapy for those managing issues related to overcontrol, and its core tenets include that our well-being involves the confluence of three factors: openness, flexibility, and social connectedness. You can read more about this therapy at www.radicallyopen.net