I get it - you are busy, tired, and overwhelmed. Therapy may seem like just more on your To Do list. Sustainable change does require effort and time - I will not waste either of these precious resources of yours! Together, we will find a reasonable and compassionate way forward. Together, we determine the goals you want to work towards and develop an action-oriented plan to get there. Together, we identify barriers to progress as they occur and creative, realistic ways to move beyond. I bring 37 years of experience in healthcare to my work, first as a physical therapist, specializing in neurological disorders. Shifting focus from physical to mental health, I completed graduate studies at Naropa University, earning a Master's in Mindfulness-Based Counseling Psychology. On retreat, I have trained in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction with Jon Kabat-Zinn and Saki Santorelli formerly of the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and studied Buddhism and meditation in sangha with Lloyd Burton, a Dharma teacher from Spirit Rock Meditation Center. Recognizing the impact of spirituality on health, I also studied pastoral care at the Iliff School of Theology in Denver. I have worked with clients in hospitals, private practice, and home-based family-centered care. I have taught mindfulness meditation, stress management, and health behavior change nationally to doctors, allied healthcare professionals, businesses, and government agencies, as well as an invited speaker at professional conferences and universities. I also have a long history as a corporate trainer, with a specialty in coaching nurses and health educators to deliver disease management and health behavior change services. When not working, I enjoy vintage car shows with my son who is on the Autism Spectrum and rock climbing.
During this first session, my intention is to understand your current needs and goals for therapy, as well as your strengths. I do this by asking questions and seeking understanding. I also invite you to bring your questions about doing therapy with me to our conversation, as well. By the end of this session, we will determine together the next steps - which could include us doing work together or guidance on finding the best fit for your therapy needs.
Mindfulness-based counseling offers you a new way to move forward. I have found, with patient and compassionate support, we are far more capable of responding to challenges than we tend to believe. I believe we can all access a deep well of peace, wisdom, and courage within. I would be honored to partner with you for a few steps on your lifelong journey.
Adults (26+) who find themselves stuck and struggling with stress, transition, or burnout and want not only to relieve symptoms but create a meaningful and purposeful life, accessing their innate capacity of mindfulness as a way to progress.
Mindfulness - our innate capacity to be non-judgmentally present, engaged, and curious - offers us a way to move forward. I have found, that with patient and compassionate support, we are far more capable of responding to challenges than we tend to believe. I believe we can all access a deep well of peace, wisdom, and courage within. I bring over 30 years of personal meditation practice and 25 years as a trained mindfulness facilitator into my work as a therapist. Mindfulness can be so much more than just relaxation. It is a powerful innate capacity to be leveraged towards your therapy goals. I would be honored to partner with you for a few steps on your lifelong journey.
ACT is a powerful integration of mindfulness and CBT - inviting us to shift our relationship with thoughts that bind us, base our life choices on personal values and experience the freedom of living in the moment.
CBT is a well-established way forward that clarifies our thinking, cultivates understanding of our emotions and leads to sustainable behavior change.
Trauma exists on a continuum and most of us have experienced it to varying degrees. We also develop protective mechanisms that can manage the impact of trauma but can come at a cost to living life to its fullest. Bringing an awareness of the experience and impact of trauma into therapy can not only reveal and understand these undercurrents but also offer healing and sustainable recovery.
Transpersonal psychology blends the best of Eastern and Western understandings of the nature of being human, relationship beyond self, and deriving meaning and purpose. This approach invites therapist and client to join in a partnership towards the client discovering their truths and how to apply these to a life based on personal and universal values.