In our first session together, here's what you can expect

My office is comfortable, quiet, and private. It is located in my home. You could be visiting a neighbor. There is no daunting office complex or waiting room filled with others you may know and have to explain your visit to. I offer you strict privacy and there are no visual or auditory recording devices that might inadvertently share your facial likeness. I will begin our first session by asking how I can be helpful? You can feel free to share as you like and to ask me questions. I tend to be fairly active in sessions and openly share what I am thinking. A colleague of mine once told me I have a remarkable ability to help people feel safe very quickly so they can be vulnerable. I will offer you the things I have discovered that can help you feel better and function more effectively. Towards the end of the session I will go over my practice agreement verbally as I am required to do by my practice laws. This explains our agreement and lets you know a bit about the therapy process as well as standards that I must live up to. I will give you a paper copy to read in full at your convenience. Grow will take care of processing fees. If you feel comfortable, we will schedule a follow up appointment and chart a course for our work. This is a concierge practice. I am available to you 24/7/365. In between sessions you are encouraged to reach out to me either by text, email or phone. Text is the quickest way to get a response. I invite you to share struggles and triumphs at any time. With your permission, I will supplement our in session work with resources I think may be useful. I may send you an academically sound YouTube video or ted talk, worksheets you may want to refer to, or books you might be interested in purchasing. Nothing I send is an assignment. Rather I offer you a menu and you choose what to try and what to leave alone. This quote from Theodore Roosevelt is my guidepost. "It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.” Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910 I respect your time in the arena.

The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions

I have experienced the benefits of effective psychotherapy on both sides of the couch. I know what courage it takes to ask for help. Earlier life experiences frequently give rise to patterns that under lie current difficulties. Understanding the present day impact of these experiences can allow us to make choices that are more effective rather than re-experiencing old wounds. In the way I work, this approach is blended with cognitive behavioral tools that can be practiced and may bring more immediate relief. I often suggest somatic work such as acupuncture, guided imagery, or movement therapies. Sometimes I work with local physicians to arrange and monitor medication assisted therapy. Over the years I have identified community supports and resources available as needed. Being in practice for some time now, I have seen many different methods that can work to provide relief. Tailoring each phase of our work to the best approach for you is essential. I believe connection is vital to mental health. We want someone to say "I see it exactly as you do." I am fascinated by life stories. I love the complex interaction of human development, culture and history, biology and experience. I am accepting and warm. I am respectful of all ethnicities and lifestyles. In session, my goal is to be fully present for you. Sometimes I fail. Often we succeed. I am a voracious student and constantly learning. There will never be judgement here. I welcome your feedback and will learn from you, as hopefully you learn from me. Give me a call and let's see if we're a good match.

The clients I'm best positioned to serve

Are you always taking care of others? Do you feel more anxious and depressed than you would like to? Have you been exposed to trauma's? Are you frustrated about not being able to reach your potential, unable to express your talents? Perhaps you just have a few area's of life that you'd like to tidy up. Have you been exposed to trauma, either on the job or in your personal life? Are you concerned about substance or process addictions? I offer outpatient psychotherapy that is uniquely tailored to your strengths and style. My approach is warm and accepting. With over 30 years experience in psychology and nursing I am able to be helpful with most situations. I enjoy offering a welcoming setting that is comfortable and allows clients to feel safely vulnerable as concerns are addressed. As a lifelong learner I have studied with some of the best and the brightest in the field. I integrate humanism, psychodynamic, medical, and cognitive sciences so we can target a plan of relief. My approach is holistic and incorporates complementary modalities. I have a network of providers offering acupuncture, medications, herbal medicine, recovery support including alternatives to 12 step programs. I offer hypnosis and deep relaxation imagery. I am well versed in medical and first responder cultures. Having done critical incident work for over a decade I understand the nature of being a sheepdog. PTSD can be insidious when it first appears and then it can take over your life. Nurses, Firefighters, EMT's, Medics, Physicians, Police and Military (active duty and veteran) are welcome to a private setting to openly discuss concerns.