New to Grow
Personal Statement I enjoy helping people get along with each other - with their spouses, parents, children, friends, coworkers. Relationships are often complicated by issues from the past, and I work at a deep level to address present day and past issues. I like to help heal individuals who have been traumatized recently or in the past. My approach is love based, and focused on reducing stress and healing fears. I focus more on healing which leads to permanent change than on temporary behavioral change, and I integrate the most recent brain research. I also honor and integrate my patients' spiritual beliefs and values into the therapy. I use attachment based therapy which is very relationship focused. I focus on healing rather than behavioral change. I am not here to judge but to help heal. I often use EMDR, especially when dealing with trauma. I like to say that EMDR does NOT help you cope better with your feelings, after EMDR you will actually feel different. That is what happens with real healing. I am very interactive and my sessions tend to be lively and to produce comparatively fast results.
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
The first therapy is one where I am asking you questions about what you want from therapy. Sometimes, clients are not sure what they want, and then we explore present and past situations to clarify that. My goal is to make every session relevant to what you want for your life, and I don't have an agenda of my own for your life. Every person is unique, and so is every relationship. The best relationship is the relationship that works best for you and that is in accord with your values and goals. So my process is active and collaborative.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
Well, in addition to having over 30 years expereince as a therapist, mainly in private practice but also in hospital settings, and I have conducted roughly 25000 (yes, 25 THOUSAND sessions), and I have taught in 3 university settings, I think what is most important is that I like and enjoy interacting with my clients. I am optimistic that my clients can understand their situations and make positive changes, so my overall approach is upbeat. I have compassion for the suffering that so many have gone through but know that these expereinces do not have to define the rest of life.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
I work with adults 18-80. My best clients are serious about getting help. They are ready to look at their own behavior as well as that of others. They understand that one cannot fix something one does not admit is broken and they are happy as they find their behavior and that of others can be understood. The goal is to not to judge, but to understand so change can occur. I also integrate a certain amount of humor into the therapy to help keep a positive atmosphere.
Mindfulness-Based Therapy
Learning to recognize our emotional and cognitive responses to the present and also those responses that are being triggered by past experiences.
EMDR
Healing for those experiences from the past which prevent us from being full present in the present
Couples Counseling
Working with both parties in a relationship on the issues above to bring them both into the present. Replacing judgmental communication with nonjudgmental inquiries, et.