I have 26 years of experience of providing psychotherapy. No one goes unscathed in life, and sometimes we need help. There are two main concepts in psychotherapy: insight and change. Some think that all you need is insight. This is only half the work. Change is the next step, and I work collaboratively with clients in this phase as well. Basically my job is to facilitate insight and change.
In our first session, I will do a comprehensive assessment, to get to know you. Most importantly, I will want to know what you are hoping to get out of therapy. I want to know why you are coming to me, what kind of help you need and whether you feel comfortable with me in the role of collaborator.
I am a down to earth, caring and curious person. My style is interactive, but I try to sense what my clients need. Therapy is like putting a puzzle together, so we collaborate in this process by exploring and understanding more deeply why we are the way we are.
I have 27 years a therapist , and I worked with a variety of diagnoses . I am best suited to treat 16 years-old and up. I am comfortable with Mood Disorders, PTSD/Complex PTSD, Anxiety disorders, Relationship/Marital Problems, Chronic Illness and Chronic Pain.
I believe that trauma affects how we feel about ourselves and how we engage with others. Once we know and understand that these experiences have had a significant influence on us, we can work to gain insight and make the changes we want.
We are all shaped by the experiences in our lives. With this modality, we uncover feelings from experiences in the past and explore how they are influencing us in our daily lives today, thus gaining insight into relationships and choices we make today. Our lives are conditioned by our past and insight gives us the chance to make other choices today. The therapeutic relationship allows us to do this together.
I use some Gottman methods in my work with couples. It is about creating a strong bond, based on striving for a relationship, that nourishes us. I have helped couples move on from affairs, co-parent together more effectively and learn how to communicate with one another more effectively.
I was on a DBT team at a clinic for 5 years, so I integrate some of the great skills and concepts into my practice. Learning and practicing some of the concepts and skills offer DBT offers new ways to tolerate difficult feelings and learn healthier coping skills.