John Hankins (he/him)

How to make sense of what it means to be a man is a challenge that is always with us. For me, being a man means being free to be your authentic self. When I hear the term "man up", I cringe. I've worked in major corporations, nonprofits and academia and seen and felt many soul crushing events. I know there is a better way. I will work with you to discover what being a man means to you and how to live in the world in a way that supports your quest to find growth and happiness.

Aging brings many challenges. Maybe it is coming to terms with your older body, or a serious illness, or figuring out what retirement means to you. We all think about these issues but find ourselves unprepared when they occur. For many of us, this can be a very lonely time where we face both emotional challenges such as anxiety or depression and practical ones such as planning for retirement or navigating Medicare. My training and lived experience make me uniquely qualified to support you.

Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or dementia takes a village. Navigating the network of medical, financial, and support services can be a full-time job. The emotional challenges of day-to-day care can take you to the breaking point. I can be the part of your loved one’s support system that is there to focus on your wellness. I’ve been where you are and can provide authentic empathy and a guiding heart and hand through this time of need.

I am a certified financial therapist. and qualified to provide financial coaching and therapy. Financial therapy seeks to create positive changes in how we think, feel and behave about money. Money can play a different role with those at or nearing retirement. The process of giving up a paycheck and structuring a monthly income from Social Security and a 401(k) account has many practical and emotional challenges. I can help with understanding and managing these issues.

I use narrative therapy as it is very consistent with my overall view of what works well in therapy. It is an empowering, and collaborative approach and it recognizes that people have skills and expertise that can help guide change in their lives. Narrative therapy separates people from their problems, which I think is an important insight. Narrative therapy does not seek to transform the person. Instead, it aims to transform the effects of a problem.

Narrative Therapy is very consistent with my overall view of what works well in therapy. It is an empowering, and collaborative approach and it recognizes that people have power, skills and expertise that can help guide change in their lives. Narrative therapy separates people from their problems, which I think is an important insight. With narrative therapy, my focus is on transforming the effects of the problem, not transforming the person.

Solution Focused Brief Therapy is another approach I use in my practice. It is short-term, pragmatic, and goal focused. SFBT helps clients change by constructing solutions rather than focusing on problems. I frequently use this technique to help clients build a vision of a way of implement change in their lives that is positive, realistic, and effective in overcoming their internal objections and obstacles.

In today's world we are awash in anxiety producing forces. These can range from financial worries around student load debt and saving for retirement to the constant stream of information that keeps us constantly worrying about what's next. Therapy cannot change or solve the world's problems. But it can be a place where I can help you can explore and contain how you perceive these issues and develop approaches to keep them from overwhelming you. My goal is to show you that you are not alone.