Choosing a therapist can be difficult, and finding the right fit is truly important. The information below may be helpful to you. We'll also have an opportunity to talk for 5-10 minutes before scheduling your initial appointment. This will give you an opportunity to learn a little about me and will also help me ensure that I can be of assistance to you.

My approach to helping…

Successful therapeutic relationships quite simply change lives. Often, people considering therapy for the first time fear that seeking help means that they are inadequate or "crazy." Not so! Therapy is not for the weak! It takes strength and determination to look inwardly, but the benefits are profound. A therapeutic relationship can be a potent force not only in resolving painful problems but also in allowing clients to strive to live to their potential. And there is a growing body of evidence that physical health is tied directly to psychological health. In fact, there's new evidence every day that it is a potent connection.

There's a growing trend toward a "trouble-shooting" approach to therapy. However, so often, a "trouble-shooting" approach fails to address the real source of the difficulty – and the problem returns. Often, the "elegant solution" to a seemingly unsolvable problem lies not in addressing the problem directly, but in looking a little deeper. So that's what we do.

Human beings grow and change within the context of relationships. Like all relationships, therapeutic relationships are developed over time. It also takes time to integrate the new experience of self and others that occurs within the therapeutic relationship, so that lasting change can result. Therapy provides that healthy connection for clients, which supports them in moving towards growth and health.

Our work together is grounded in the following guiding ideas:

• As human beings, we are each endowed with fundamental dignity and the right to self-determination.
• The human experience is the journey of becoming fully who we are, and this process of “becoming” is directly either helped or hindered by our life experiences.
• Painful experiences and difficult challenges, once understood and integrated, become part of an ever more complex and rich tapestry of self.
• People naturally move toward growth and health given a supportive environment.
• We grow and change first and foremost within the context of relationships.
• A therapeutic relationship provides an opportunity for guided self-exploration with goals ranging from alleviating a specific problem to in-depth learning about oneself with a focus on resolving residual issues from past experiences.
• Fully defining and appreciating ourselves empowers us to actively design, and bring into reality, joyful and fulfilling lives.

Technically speaking…

The theories underlying my work are:

• Self Psychology – an insight-oriented, relationship-based approach [Heinz Kohut]
• Cognitive strategies based in Positive Psychology including "Learned Optimism" and "Authentic Happiness" [Martin Seligman]
• Flow Theory [Mihalyi Csikszentmihaly]

Your questions about this information are welcomed at any time.