I am a Licensed Psychologist in central Florida and have been in practice for more that 45 years. I completed my doctoral training at the University of Denver in 1989 and have worked with both public and private hospitals, clinics, and organizations. My training has included becoming certified as an Addiction Professional and a Human Services Practitioner. In addition to my therapy practice, I have been on faculty at several colleges and universities including the University of Denver, University of South Florida (USF), and Pasco-Hernando State College. I am also a writer and author of "Practicing Psychotherapy" published in 2021 by Routledge. I believe that we all have the capacity and ability to make healthy, positive changes and during my career I have been honored to be a part of supporting and assisting others in becoming more of the person they want to be. I have the good fortune of loving what I do and I'm passionate about what therapy can do to help us.
In our first session, we'll get acquainted with each other. It's important for both of us to feel that we're a good match to work together. I'll want to learn about you including what's bringing you to therapy, your family/relationship history, and some other basic information like medical conditions, drug/alcohol use, work or school, social life and so forth. Most importantly, I want to know what a good outcome would be for our work together. How will you know when you've done what you came to do? If we both feel like a good match at the end of the session, we'll plan times to meet again; if we're not a good match, I'll provide referral information to help you find the best person for you.
More than 45 years of experience with a wide range of populations and problems has given me a strong sense of confidence and built competence in working with a wide spectrum of human dilemmas. I'm flexible in how we focus our work and want to know if what we're doing feels helpful. I've learned to see the world through the eyes of my clients and have learned so much about how people change. Perhaps the most important thing I bring is hope. I've never met someone whose dilemmas are hopeless but I know how powerful that feeling can be. So, even if you can't bring hope with you, I'll bring mine to share.
I work with adults of any age who are seeking to make positive changes in themselves. Everyone I work with is unique and I want our experience working together to be unique as well. Several things that I believe enhance the psychotherapy experience are curiosity, honesty, hope, and courage. I'll bring those with me and ask you to do the same. Also, a willingness to experiment with new ideas and behaviors with an open mind are important. You can't change and stay the same. I consider us collaborators and what you decide to try or not is always up to you. Everyone I work with feels like a new adventure to me!
My foundation in my practice is Humanistic, a tradition based in appreciation of the uniqueness and intrinsic value of every person. I believe that the therapeutic relationship, built on trust and collaboration, is the most important aspect of healing. It's' important to me to establish an honest, compassionate, and cooperative connection with those I serve. I believe that growth and positive change is possible for everyone and focus on how to reduce barriers to help people move their lives forward.
I often incorporate IFS as a way to address the internal barriers and conflicts that can impede us from overcoming problems and making positive changes. It's an approach that helps us identify and change how we get in our own way when attempting to resolve issues and move toward our goals.
I often encourage client's to practice mindfulness as a way to manage anxiety, depression, and other common mental health challenges. I find it useful in helping us learn to be present in our experiences rather than being trapped in our expectations.