Services
About My Clients
My clients are worried and frustrated parents and their kids. Sometimes the kids are adopted, sometimes they're bio kids, step kids, or foster kids. In all cases, the kids are pretty great and so are their parents. They're just having a tough time figuring out how to be together. Often, the kids are expressing their anxiety by trying to control the adults, the adults are pretty tired of it, and everyone is stressed out. I can help you break that anxious control cycle down and enjoy each other.
My Background and Approach
I spent my academic career learning about the brain, child development, and how people tick. I even wrote a couple of books on it. I've also helped raise 3 kids, and I've done counseling for years. I've got a good idea of what works, and I can help you get there. I use approaches based on "normal" mammal behavior and brain science, which I've polished up over years of sitting with frustrated kids and parents. It's not easy, it's not always fast, but things do get better. I usually use a mix of Theraplay (there's a good youtube video called "What is Theraplay?"), Developmental Dyadic Psychotherapy (DDP), and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), with some added twists from polyvagal theory.
My Personal Beliefs and Interests
I believe there's always hope, and that people have an endless capacity for change. I also believe that systems and structures in society can make life much harder than it needs to be. I think it's important to look at those -isms when we talk so that we can track some of their impacts on your life. There's no such thing as a perfect parent, therapist, or anything else (except for my dog, he's perfect). Let's figure out why you're maybe still aiming for flawless when content is much healthier. I'm an LGBTQIA ally, I staunchly believe that Black and Brown lives matter, and that kids should get recess every day.