I provide evidence-based treatments delivered with compassion and humor. I specialize in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy I specialized in the treatment of children I see adults for individual and couples counseling My treatment modalities are CBT, DBT, expressive therapy, exposure therapy, and life coaching.

Treatment is results oriented, which means we work together at the beginning to define the changes that are meaningful to you. In a basic sense, psychotherapy is for thinking about feelings. We are all part of systems, be they family, work or society. The outcome is more freedom to be yourself. With children, treatment approach is family-centered. In the long run, the best therapist for your child is you, the parent. Parent consultation is an integral part of treatment for children and teens. Play space, art therapy and parent observation available. Psychological testing and family meetings are options. In Couples Counseling or Marital Therapy the patient is the relationship. In couples treatment, i thoughtfully guide your interactions to encourage better understanding of each other. This approach reduces the tendency to blame one another for differences, and leads the two of you into your own manner of accepting them. Pet-Assisted Therapy (PAT).

I see therapy as a collaborative relationship that involves compassion and challenge. I actively engage with people to help them move through places where they are stuck in their lives. This may involve letting go of past hurts, learning loving kindness, developing skills and agency for living, and being able to play and experience joy. Each therapy is unique: it is devised to facilitate living a full, creative, and meaningful life. I work with individuals and couples. I am very helpful working with people in life transitions: Addressing blind-spots in current work situations that connect to unresolved historical issues; ways in which people are stuck regarding relationships, for example, compromising themselves because of an old and limiting version of their sense of self that is not true and leads them into unsatisfying relationships. I understand the importance of these aspects of people’s lives. I create a safe space for people to learn about themselves and experience themselves authentically.

The amount of training I have is what differentiates me from other psychologists. I believe in meeting someone where they are at and do so by drawing from a wide range of types of interventions. I treat clients from young children and adolescents to adults and couples. Parenting, stress management, relationship issues, ADHD, anxiety and depression are my specialty areas. Individual Therapy Through developing a warm and trusting relationship, we will utilize your strengths to help you learn more effective ways to cope with life’s struggles, feel more in control of yourself and your life, and improve your connections with others to get your needs met. We will begin to understand and heal your pain in a way that is tolerable in order to change underlying patterns of behavior. You will learn concrete strategies to manage feelings so that you do not become overwhelmed. Often people come in due to an inner critic that is costing them their joy. If this describes a big part of your inner struggles, you will learn how to stop your internal judge and fear of judgment from others from running and ruining your life. Frequent areas addressed in individual therapy: Relationship Issues Considering or Adjusting To Separation/ Divorce Stress Reduction Depression or Loss Issues Self Esteem Issues Anxiety and Sleep Problems Addiction Trauma Anger Management Issues Career issues and changes LGBT issues Finding the right couples therapist is key given you are ready to work on one of the most central relationships in your life. Some conversations are easier to have with help, especially if you want them to go differently or they are on sensitive topics. My focus is on creating a safe space so you can learn new strategies to work through problems together effectively, learn how to be less reactive, and gain perspective on your relationship. Whether you are choosing to find a way back to each other if there has been a rupture in the trust, save your marriage or find a way to separate amicably, handle a divorce, or just need help finding your way through a transition or parenting issues, I can help! If your relationship has become more of a business relationship than an intimate one, you will learn how to increase your passion for each other again. I have been extensively trained by John Gottman, as well as by Toni Herbine Blank, and work with both heterosexual and homosexual couples. I feel privileged to see the tremendous benefits couples enjoy when they are committed to making changes. Frequent areas couples seek help for include: Communication Increased Connection Appreciation and Support Infidelity Parenting Issues Financial Stress Anger Management Sexual Intimacy Assistance with Life Transitions (premarita

Along with my twenty five years plus of professional counseling practice, I have a lifetime of challenges that have added to my understanding and compassion of my clients; Joyful experiences such as adoption to life altering traumas as death by suicide and illness of loved ones. All people are different and there is not just one or two or even three "appropriate" ways to deal with life events. Our timelines and our processing needs are individual. Each person is capable of knowing what is right for themselves. Together, respectfully, I help my clients find what is helpful for themselves. Then my client will reach their goals with my support, suggestion and encouragement. All efforts, whether productive or not, are valuable. Change is inevitable and my clients feel empowered to make adjustments that bring the results that are needed. Your journey,your life values; I will accompany you to understand and meet your own needs.

Everyone needs a little help sometimes; whether you have been through a major traumatic event, struggled with a personal issue most of your life, or would like to receive a little extra help coping with day to day stress. I believe everyone has the capability to make positive changes that will help enhance their quality of life. I believe there is great value in creating a therapeutic environment that fosters support, safety, respect, and trust. I believe in the greatness and the power of will and that every individual has the strength and the resilience within themselves to create their own path.

Starting therapy can often be daunting, so please don't hesitate to reach out to discuss your needs and goals for treatment in a safe environment. I continue to offer a client-focused, personalized approach to therapy utilizing various cognitive and psychodynamic modalities. This may mean addressing early life influence on your current daily function, or specific goals for your relationships with yourself, loved ones, and the world around you. Whether it is solution focus for a specific need, or healing, personal growth, and exploration- positive change is possible and within reach. The client defines both the work and its pace. As a colleague once said, "My job is to put myself out of a job". As such, it is my goal to aid clients in building a strong critical toolbox that can be taken into the world, allowing healing, personal improvement and exploration, emotional regulation, and thus better relationships with self and others. Tele-therapy is available to clients across the Northshore and statewide, so contact me to discuss your options.