Get to know me

In our first session together, following brief introductions, I like to spend my time gathering information from you the client and learning what brings you to therapy. A key question to ask in the initial stages of the therapy process is "why now?" so I seek to understand my clients' motivation for taking the often difficult step into therapy. I will most likely ask clinical questions to gain an overall understanding of your behavioral health history, learn about previous therapy experiences, and gain your perspective on the concept of therapy as a process. For marital/couples counseling I seek to understand the communication dynamic that exists between each partner and start the process of looking for unproductive communication patterns.

The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions

I believe I am especially skilled at helping people move past feelings of judgement in any capacity; be that judgement of others or self. A key element of personal growth is acceptance of all emotions and aspects of person hood, this acceptance is a journey of compassion that the client takes in the therapy process. I play a role in helping the client engage compassion of self and others by modeling this acceptance so that the client can then internalize it for themselves.

The clients I'm best positioned to serve

I have a long history working with many different types of people. My approach seeks to validate and value the person, the human, first of all and seek to meet the individual, couple, or family at their emotional starting point. I have 12 years of experience working with active duty solders and their families and am thus adept at serving those with trauma needs and other issues of anxiety or mood disruption. Clients wanting to work through emotional pain at any level will usually find my style calming and engaging as they seek to manage the difficulties of their internal world.