As an independent psychotherapist, I welcome individuals, couples, and families into a safe space to bravely face their challenges and find their best selves. My passion is your well being.

Specialties

• Addiction
• Assessments for
  alcohol & drug abuse
• Codependency
• Grief
• Trauma
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Marital Crisis/Conflict
• Family Crisis/Conflict

 

Individual Therapy

Therapy can seem like a daunting prospect, but in truth, it is the one thing in your life that is truly all about you. The heart and soul of my work is an intimate dialogue that allows you to reveal to yourself what matters most to you, and helps you see what you can do to gain the confidence and have the presence of mind to progress toward meaningful change in your life.

I welcome individuals into a safe and non-judgmental space to be seen and heard, to work on healing from trauma and loss, and to be honored for the many things they have done well in their lives. We all encounter challenges in life. Individual Therapy is a means to successfully manage difficult life transitions, work-related stress, and resolve life problems that result in depression, anxiety, frustration, worry, procrastination, and discouragement. It is possible to replace painful family interaction patterns with improved communication to develop more satisfying relationships, which you deserve to have. I would be honored to help.

Marriage and Couples Therapy

I was drawn to become a Marriage & Family Therapist because relationships are the cornerstone of a person’s life, and as human beings, we are destined to seek relationships because we are “tribal” by nature. We need connection, and cannot live without it. In fact, it is said that “rejection” is the most difficult of human emotions, quite simply because it threatens our core need to “belong”.

But, relationships and marriage can be very hard at times. Transitions through family life stages can threaten what we once believed was a strong relationship.  Whether moving from dating to marriage, adjusting to the role as new parents, navigating the challenges of family with teenagers, or rediscovering your relationship during the empty nest period - couples counseling can assist with moving through these life-cycle transitions and increase relationship satisfaction.

Some couples seek counseling to strengthen their bonds and gain a better understanding of each other. Premarital counseling can also help couples achieve a deeper understanding of each other and iron out differences before marriage.

In other cases, couples seek marriage counseling to improve a troubled relationship. You can use marriage counseling to address many specific issues, including:

• Communication problems
• Sexual difficulties
• Conflicts about child rearing or blended families
• Substance abuse
• Financial problems
• Anger
• Infidelity
• Situational crises requiring new coping skills

 

I believe in working collaboratively with couples to discuss problems safely without fear or judgment. It is a great honor to help people in one of the most important areas of their lives.

Family Therapy

Being part of a family is the very essence of our existence as humans. But, it can be very challenging and painful.

Family therapy can help to resolve conflicts and help build meaningful, satisfying relationships. This can involve learning to understand patterns of behavior and exactly how communication breaks down.

Family therapy can help each member with insights into change, and provide tools that a family can use to maintain stability.

Group Therapy

Depending on the nature of your problem, group therapy can be an ideal choice to make positive changes in your life. Group therapy involves a therapist leading a small group (5-10) for an hour or two weekly. Groups are designed and offered to address a specific problem, such as depression, obesity, social anxiety, or substance abuse.   Other groups focus more generally on improving social skills, anger, shyness, loneliness, or low self-esteem. Grief focused groups help people who have experienced a loss, such as a death, suicide, or divorce.

Joining a group of strangers may sound intimidating, but group members are always surprised by how rewarding a group experience can be. Groups act as a sounding board, offering ideas, and helping with accountability. Regular talking and listening to others helps us put our own problems into perspective, and helps us realize we are not alone, or the only one with these struggles. The diversity of a group offers a whole range of strategies and ideas for facing your own concerns.

Date ranges and times of groups offered will be posted on my website.

Addiction Education

With nearly 20 years of addiction treatment experience at local treatment centers, I am happy to provide psycho-educational lectures and discussions to help people understand the challenging concepts around addiction.  

Addiction has long carried a "moral stigma" in this country; few understand what it really is, what causes it, and how to treat it effectively. It is an honor for me to share this information.  It is said that for every person struggling with any type of addiction, at least eight people around that person are negatively impacted.  I have a strong working knowledge of the needs of those addicted, and their family members. 

I have 15 year specializing in trauma therapy to support my clients.

Please contact me to discuss options.  Curriculum can be flexible and designed specifically for your needs.

It has been my privilege to work with clients and their families in the addiction treatment world for many years. It takes great courage to face the unknown and to allow people you do not know well to help face addiction along with the emotions connected to one’s life before, during, and after active addiction.