Services
- Individual
- Couples
- Family
- Adolescent/Teen
About My Clients
You are feeling depressed, or simply that you are not thriving. You have a decision to make but no choice seems like the right one. Or you are being "attacked" by your anxiety. You know you need to turn and face it, but you're reluctant to do so alone. You hope for warm, wise guidance, but hesitate to trust a stranger, even a professional. It's ok, we have all been there. I'm happy to help unfold what is happening your life. Let's explore. Maybe we'll transform difficulty into insight.
My Background and Approach
In this profession, wisdom is a good thing, so I don't mind that I am now in my 60's. Although therapy begins with a problem, inspiration and sources of joy deserve equal attention. I watch for moments in conversation when my clients' eyes light up. That shine tells me the direction my client wants to go. My work is a ladder built on insight and practice. The first rung is your perception. Perception shines a light and shows you a direction. The second rung is practice, a practice we develop together that helps you live your insight. Being mentally healthy means that you can use difficulties for growth. I am a real person in my sessions. I see my work as a partnership with you, and although I am happy to share things that I have learned, I don't take the role of "expert" with you as the "patient." Instead, we both work, detective-like and with wonder, to understand your journey. I use dialogue, dreams, art, aspirations, the world around us and a spirit of adventure.
My Personal Beliefs and Interests
I believe that the most important feature of life is that it is a journey of discovery. The art of the therapist is to help the client transform their difficulties into occasions of insight. Sometimes prospective clients ask me what our work together will be like. I can say a few things-we will inquire, we will be patient and respectful of challenges, but like a mountain hike, I can not tell you exactly what you will come to see because it is a true journey. Therapy often accelerates what will happen anyway. On your own you may find that the relationship you are in is the wrong one, or that how you have been seeing your difficulty can be turned upside down. With thoughtful inquiry, this will happen more quickly, and after all, one of our most valuable chances is to use our time in life well. Therapists and thinkers I admire include C.G. Jung, Esther Perel, Viktor Frankl, the Buddha, and Socrates. Although I practice talk therapy, I also deeply value yoga and meditation.