Personal Statement
My professional philosophy is that therapy is not a lifestyle; it is a process by which someone might discover their desired sense of balance. I believe the goal of therapy is to restore or achieve your desired level of well being. As your therapist, my role is to assist you in attaining that desired level. Through therapy, we will identify the influences or circumstances that hinder your contentment and create the tools needed to overcome these obstacles.
By fostering trust in the therapeutic relationship and recognizing you as the expert of your own experiences, I will work to guide you toward the solutions that suit your strengths. We will collaborate to discover the methods that will best maintain your sense of balance and develop your coping skills should you discover yourself experiencing distress in the future. You will leave empowered by the knowledge that you hold the key to your well being and may access it at any time.
My experience encompasses working through issues relating to anxiety, depression, grief and loss, as well as interpersonal struggles. I will work to help you and/or your family to develop strategies for coping in difficult relationships whether they are family, peer, professional, or romantic. I have found success helping my clients discover their strengths, eliminate self destructive behaviors, repair or redefine relationships, and navigate phase of life difficulties (e.g. challenges of adolescence, committed relationships, confusion common among the college aged, entering the job market, the sandwich generation, retirement). My hope is that should you be confronted with distress that my breadth of experience will serve to guide you through these barriers to find your place of comfort and well being.
Clinical Orientation
The specific theoretical orientations I incorporate include: Humanistic Psychology, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Family Systems.
Humanistic Psychology rests on the belief that human beings cannot be reduced to components, but rather are a sum of their experiences, perceptions, choices, and responsibilities. Further, this orientation recognizes in each individual the desire to direct their activities and to seek out the meaning, value, and creativity in their lives.
I also utilize Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) which is an empirically supported approach that focuses on patterns of thinking that are maladaptive and the beliefs that underlie such thinking. Clients are encouraged to monitor their thoughts in order to determine what patterns of biases in thinking may exist and to develop more productive alternatives to their thoughts. This approach is active, solution-focused, and goal-directed. I have further training in Trauma Focused CBT.
Additionally, I have a strong background in Family Systems, which supports the view of the family as an emotional unit and utilizes scientific based systems thinking to describe the complex interactions in the unit. Based on the importance and intensity of the interactions in a family, it is understandable that these relationships will have some influence on every relationship that follows. Understanding the patterns of relating and communicating in your family of origin can act as an answer key to understanding your current patterns.
By utilizing this information, together, we can identify the satisfying patterns and those that need adjustment. Utilizing a blend of these orientations allows me to create a unique recipe for each of my clients to most effectively address their specific, individual needs.
just plain personal
When I'm not working I'm most likely outside somewhere with my partner, rescue dogs, my mountain bike, or some combination of those; wondering what I'm going to eat next or where in the world I'd like to go next.