LMHC, 8 years of experience
Warm, unconditionally accepting, positively energetic, and professional—these are the qualities a counselor who once saved my life possessed, and they are the qualities I bring with conviction to my practice. Life is a journey, and I want to help you continue building a happy and peaceful path. From the moment we begin our first session, my goal is to create a warm and nurturing atmosphere that fosters growth. I employ an integrated approach to therapy, utilizing CBT, acceptance and commitment therapy, solution-focused brief therapy, motivational interviewing, and person-centered therapy.
My goal for each session is for you to walk away feeling supported, understood, and ready to explore solutions and insights you can use to grow and move forward with your life. With clients, I prioritize: Building trust and finding comfort Developing a meaningful plan of action Individualized solutions for you to live a happier, healthier life Utilizing in-skill coping and relaxation skills Negative thought replacement Integrated multi-modal acceptance strategies
I think that the hardships I've faced in life from growing up poor in a broken home, being a USMC combat veteran, a recovering alcoholic, a bisexual man, and merely a client in therapy myself give me life experience that enhances my clinical ability that I've developed over the past eight years. I know what it feels like to be hopeless, anxious, traumatized, and misunderstood. And I know from my life experience in addition to my clinical work how to relate to people that struggle and are looking for a solution.
I love working with people who feel anxious and overwhelmed about their problems. I enjoy being a part of their journey in overcoming them and finding peace and serenity in their lives. People that struggle with the feeling of being "stuck" or feeling "worthless", or those struggle with anger issues, I welcome you. My goal is to give you hope and help you develop healthy ways of dealing with each of the aforementioned issues.
My first introduction to CBT was sixteen years ago when I was a patient myself. The concept of our thoughts affecting our behavior and emotions really resonated with me in addition to many of the cognitive distortions or "thinking errors" that are pointed out in CBT. I began utilizing the approach in conjunction to a person-centered approach when I became an intern in 2017 and have been using it since. Most of the clients I've worked with appreciate the applicability and results of CBT.
My first experience as a client myself in counseling is what led me to become a therapist. And I believe my first therapist nearly mastered the person-centered approach's core conditions: Congruence, unconditional positive regard, and an accurate empathic understanding. To summarize, an effective counselor is genuine and authentic, holds their clients in a non-judgmental and high regard, and understands their client's feelings. These are qualities that I've been bringing to my practice since 2017 and I believe have had the greatest positive impact on my clients.
Since 2019, I have spent a lot of my work with individuals struggling with addictions. And, I have learned that clients tend to respond best when the clinician meets them where they are at. In other words, empathizes with them, avoids confrontation with them, and helps them find motivation to achieve their goals.
4 ratings with written reviews
July 15, 2025
He was very open minded and even when answering the basic questions, he still listened to me even if I was went beyond the answer needed. Very warm and kind and makes you feel like you have someone there
May 27, 2025
It was my first session, and my therapist was very kind, open-minded, and supportive. He made me feel safe and didn’t judge me. I felt comfortable being myself and talking to him.
March 27, 2025
extremely easy to talk to! Excited to move forward