Counseling for Individuals
Everyone experiences challenges in life. I approach therapy as a time and space set apart for a special kind of conversation about one’s Self, and one’s relationships with others. There is a broad array of reasons people who seek out therapy—some may need to process trauma or to grieve a significant loss, or for help in achieving in some area of life … while others may need help with clarifying a vision for a meaningful future.
Adjustments to change, crises, and stress are often accompanied by discomforts that can benefit from therapy. A few examples of such discomforts include anxiety or fear, frustration, restlessness, numbness, depressed mood, irritability/anger, grief, despair, appetite/weight, sleep/fatigue, memory issues, concentration, feeling stuck or unclear, lacking a sense of confidence, etc. I work with adult individuals (ages 18 and above) with an in-depth approach to help them discern what holds them back from living more fully—and begin to progress with clarity, courage, and emerging competence.
My approach is generally conversational, and includes psychoeducation, humor, and pointing out problematic patterns for clients to recognize and address. I also use forms of mindful Self-discernment for developing Self-leadership. These perspectives and skills can be utilized independently, throughout one’s life.
I help people refine and articulate their values and aspirations. I guide them in developing behaviors, attitudes, and skills to approach their current challenges, as well as to process concerns from the past that prevent them from progressing.
“You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of.”
– Jim Rohn
Couples Counseling
I work with couples to improve and maintain the health and vitality of their relationships. As a licensed clinical marriage and family therapist, I am specially trained to handle the intensity and complexity of a couple’s therapy. I appreciate the courage, commitment, and feelings of vulnerability with which a couple come to undertake the difficult conversations necessary to keeping their relationship healthy. I help couples attend to their personal and relational wellbeing as they deal with a variety of challenging issues. These include communication difficulties, conflict resolution, emotion regulation, sexual difficulties, extra-relational affairs, parenting, friends, in-laws, history of trauma, role stress, disparate aspirations, grief, loss, health concerns, transition, managing commitments to work/home/leisure, building and balancing connection & separateness.
In working with couples, I bring their awareness to underlying patterns of interaction that may be holding them back in their progress. With guidance for mindful Self-discernment, partners can learn a way to respond for their feelings, rather than react from them—which can introduce significant change to the relationship, that they can then bring to resolving their problem. I also provide external resources, such as psychoeducation, skills training, insight, caring confrontation, direction, and supplemental reading or online lectures.
“You don’t think your way to a new way of living. You live your way to a new way of thinking.”
― David Schnarch