Services
- Individual
- Adolescent/Teen
About My Clients
The decision to come to counseling can be very difficult for many individuals. Taking that leap into the unknown can be scary (coming into counseling for the first time or seeing a new counselor if you have had counseling before). I believe the individual decides to come to therapy because they have tried everything they can think of to improve their situation but have become stuck. My goal in therapy is to help you get unstuck. Let's work together to bring you a more rich and meaningful life.
My Background and Approach
My approach is a behavior therapy called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) although I also uses techniques and ideas from other therapies based on what the individual needs. In ACT, I will work with you on getting your life going in the direction you want it to be going while also helping you to better handle the obstacles along the way. I've worked across a variety of areas in mental health--my first job was in a chaotic group home, I have worked on a psychiatric ward as a lowly mental health worker, as a case manager for chronically mentally ill clients, as a crisis clinician (going to homes and hospitals doing crisis evaluations), and as a therapist in private practice as well as community mental health centers. I do not offer phone call or video consultations but if you email me, I am happy to answer any questions or concerns you have about counseling, ACT, or anything else you are curious about before getting started.
My Personal Beliefs and Interests
There seems to be a misconception about counseling and what type of person would go to counseling. I've had many clients apologize for telling me about their reasons for coming to see me or they minimize their problems by saying something like 'oh, I'm sure that's stupid compared to what you usually hear.' I tell them all the same thing: we are all human. Thoughts, emotions, joy, pain, sadness, anger, etc...these are all normal parts of being human. Yes, there are varying degrees of issues I have worked with but we are all climbing our own mountains here. Some are tougher than others but they are still mountains. My clients, whether homeless or wealthy, uneducated or have doctoral degrees..they all have at least one thing in common: they are all humans who experience difficult thoughts and feelings. I think I'm also asked here to share some of my other interests/beliefs so here goes: I'm an environmentalist, avid gardener, sourdough bread (and pizza) home baker, and dog lover.