My work with adults includes individual therapy with men and women, couples counseling, marriage counseling, and family counseling. Sometimes individuals have needs related to work, stress, childhood issues, or relationships. I want to help. Life can be very difficult at times, and a caring therapist who listens and understands can be very important in helping with the changes that life sometimes requires of us. My hope is that ABC can be your oasis, a place where you find just what your heart needs to get you over the rough spots. I understand that in all relationships there is conflict. If you spend enough time with anyone, conflicts will naturally arise. I strive to help couples manage conflict in a manner that is much more positive than negative, and create a relationship of hope and freshness. If you are struggling in your relationship, maybe it’s time to spend some time with a trained, experienced counselor who will understand you and your loved one, and accept you where you are. Working with children: I meet with parents to assess their child's needs, make a plan to meet those needs, and provide therapy and support. That support includes frequent communication with parents about the issues of parenting their unique child, and accessing support in the community through self-help groups and organizations. The first session is for adults only. This is a time for your child’s therapist to hear your family's history, the unique story of your child, and to look together at what your child needs. It is not always necessary to know how your child has developed the emotional or behavioral issues he has, but it is important to discover ways to change or work with those issues. My commitment to parents is that I will always be available for support and I will never point an accusing finger at you. Being a parent is a tremendously difficult task. It is my hope that with counseling, guidance, and the right type of encouragement, parenting can be fun again for you.

Whether your relationship is out of balance, or you just want to build upon what you already have, I believe all couples can benefit from counseling / coaching. Together, we will discuss what is needed to create and maintain authentic, healthy relationships. We will dive into the mystery of your relationship, highlight the positive aspects, while dealing with the setbacks, and work toward tangible goals. In therapy, I use proven counseling techniques combined with coaching skills to help you change your life. I have found this strategy effective for a wide range of couples, from newlyweds to those struggling because of work imbalance. I will join the couple in their relationship struggles to improve what is already a beautiful partnership and more importantly, help you stay in love. I have experience, and enjoy, working with same sex couples and all are welcome in my practice. Relationship counseling and coaching includes: Sexuality and Affection Money and Finances Creating a Shared Vision Taking Risks Making Decisions Communication and Trust Life Transitions Balancing Time and Priorities Gaining Work | Life Balance Career Transitioning Gaining Self Confidence and Self Esteem Skill Building in areas like Time Management, Stress, and other Life Skills Encouragement and Support Building Self Worth

Overcoming anxiety and other emotional blocks can be challenging on your own. In my work with artists and other creative people, it seems there is often this type of struggle with anxiety, sometimes directly in performance anxiety and other times in a more general way, like in social situations. Working through stuck places in a relationship or your career can be equally difficult without support. If you are a creative person or are seeking a mind-body-spirit approach, I may be a good fit for you. Creative people generally find my use of metaphor, archetype, and image resonates with them. If you would like, we can explore dreams, myths, and world religions to draw a deeper understanding of your self and your own story. By exploring the stories you tell yourself, the roles you take on in your work or personal life, and the perspectives of the other "actors" in your life, we can see you as an individual in the context of their life. In this way, there is no need to judge, but rather, together we can understand how your choices made sense and find new directions for you. COUPLES WORK Relationships are challenging and often end up being the Kryptonite that can bring the best of us down. Most people I work with have success in their work life, and many find that setting and achieving goals is almost second nature. If only relationships worked like that! When these same clients learn how relationships work and get a bit of objectivity with new perspectives, they find relationships CAN be done. Marriage Counseling, relationship work, or individual work is really all about figuring out "what you want," and then getting support in that process of change and growth. Some couples are needing to learn better communication skills in order to lower conflict or to strengthen and deepen a connection. I can coach you in couple sessions or longer "intensive" sessions. Same sex couples are welcome in my practice and classes. If you are ready to gain energy towards the achievement of your goals, please call me. Together we can explore the best way to work.

I provide a safe environment and use an active, forthright style to help you: * Get to the heart of the problems you are facing and make changes that matter * "Rewire" emotional and body triggers so you have more peace and well-being, less pain * Change old patterns and meet life challenges in new ways * Use existing conflict to breathe new life into relationships (Lesbian and Gay clients welcome) * Heal wounds from trauma, abuse and neglect * Relieve anxiety and panic, cure phobias * Change feelings of emptiness and worthlessness * Deal with stress, depression, and excessive anger * Explore sexual concerns and dysfunction * Move through grief, including divorce recovery and pet loss Psychotherapy helps heal DEPRESSION, ANXIETY DISORDERS (PTSD, panic attacks, phobias), RELATIONSHIP ISSUES (such as poor communication, anger and sexual problems), TRAUMA (emotional, physical or sexual abuse, other upsetting experiences), GRIEF, STRESS and promotes PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT. I practice an approach that supports: * LEARNING TO MEET LIFE'S CHALLENGES WITH INCREASING MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL FLEXIBILITY. * FACING PROBLEMS WITH CURIOUSITY AND INCREASED PRESENCE OF MIND, RATHER THAN WITH OLD BEHAVIOR PATTERNS, ALLOWING NEW POSSIBILITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES TO EMERGE. * RESPONDING TO INEVITABLE FAILURES (BY SELF AND OTHERS) WITH ACCOUNTABILITY AND COMPASSION, NOT BLAME.

Couples, sex and food problems are my specialties. With over 30 years training and experience as a therapist, I treat couples with intimacy, sexuality, communication, and infidelity problems. I treat eating disorders,sexual addiction (including pornography use), anxiety and depression. I am a certified weight loss specialist and hold an advanced certification in problematic sexual behavior and certification in systemic sex therapy with couples. I am extensively trained in body focused action approaches, hypnotherapy, brief solution focused therapy, and many couples approaches including Gottman and Imago, and EFT. I am presently completing my first book on compulsive food problems and compulsive sexuality and how both problems should be treated with a similar approach in order to have therapeutic results. If you are undecided about your relationship I will work with each of you to make a sound decision concerning your relationship and the best course of action for you both. I believe that all couples can find renewed passion and learn to live peacefully together. We can learn to love again even if we feel that love is presently non-existant between us. It is never too late to heal a relationship and resolve past wounds that have occurred within an intimate relationship. Intimate relationships bring deeper meaning into our lives, the conflict within them is there to help us grow and transform us into positive more selfless people. This is why I feel all relationships hit a difficult impasse at some point in time. If this is your time, it is your opportunity to grow and become a more caring, confident and empowered individual.