Did you know that most people don't initially consider counseling to help them with problems? Perhaps you have already spoken with friends, family, co-workers, or a respected religious/spiritual leader in your community. Perhaps those you’ve talked with don’t truly understand your perspective, or maybe they understand you, but they don’t know how to help. I’ve had these kinds of experiences myself over the years, and they led me to seek counseling for my own growth. In doing so, I have reaped the benefits for myself, so I know how powerful it can be. My foundation of caring rests on four pillars; 1) recognizing a person’s worth, 2) honoring their trust, 3) maintaining a non-judgmental posture and 4) valuing curiosity. I have built upon that foundation with formal training as a mental health counselor, years of diverse clinical experiences using evidence-based practices to help people heal and grow, and a finally a PhD. Counseling is both science and art, and I recognize and appreciate both. So whether you are struggling with the challenges of day-to-day living, facing a new season of life, reeling from a significant loss, or have a diagnosable mental health condition, I am here to help on your journey to healing. I specialize in working with men's issues treating trauma, anxiety, depression, sexual addiction, and integrating spirituality/faith into counseling. I also have a working knowledge of psychopharmacology because many of my clients have been on medications in addition to therapy. It takes courage to reach out for help, but it is truly worth it. If you’re ready to take that next step, I’ll be here to join you.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
The first session will be your intake, where I will ask questions about your history, your family, your work/career, your relationships, and current symptoms and issues that are troubling you. I'll take notes during that session to reference as we continue our work together. The intake is very different from follow-up sessions because I use that first meeting to learn the overview of your story. By the second session we'll get into your goals for therapy and begin working. From that point we'll work through the issues that brought you into therapy and assess your progress from time to time. It's important to note that things often get worse before they get better as you unearth concerns and issues that have remained below the surface. That is a normal and healthy part of the process.
What treatment methods and tools do you utilize?
I am trauma informed and draw from a variety of approaches including Motivational Interviewing, ACT, Gestalt, REBT, CBT, existential therapy, mindfulness based treatment, and object relations theory. I've also described my approach as psychodynamic, although I don't adhere to all of the principles. The interpersonal process, an experiential orientation that is helpful in illuminating and healing attachment issues, is central to all of my work. It’s understandable if you don’t know what any of that means. Just know that I can work with you from different theoretical orientations using a variety of interventions depending on your presenting problems and goals.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
My biggest strengths are meeting people where they are, understanding their perspectives and feelings, incorporating spirituality, and increasing self-awareness and self-acceptance. This work helps them to break free of what burdens them so that they can have healthier, more fulfilling lives. People are often surprised at how much they reveal to me because of their known "trust issues." I have worked with many people who have issues with sexual addiction, codependency, and grief and loss. While those may not be "official" diagnosable mental health conditions, they plague many of my clients nonetheless. Many of my clients have also struggled with significant life transitions that leave them feeling lost and alone. The pain from these relational and existential issues can be crushing.