My Treatment Philosophy


Life, for all of us, poses challenges as we evolve over the course of our lives.  Building healthy relationships, dealing with loss, managing our finances, focusing on our health, attending to our sexuality, and parenting are among the wide array of tasks we face in our lives.  We experience a sense of well being when we are able to negotiate, balance, and integrate different aspects of who we are with the many demands of life.

Yet during the course of our lives, we may start to feel less certain about our capacity to handle these transitions alone.  Our difficulties may show up, among many other possible symptoms, as depression, persistent lack of motivation, recurring sleeplessness, chronic procrastination, explosive anger, bouts of uncontrollable crying, feelings of isolation, suicidal feelings, recurrent relationship difficulties, lack of sexual desire, crippling anxiety, alcohol abuse or eating disturbances.  All of us summon our resources to help our-selves at these moments but there may come a point when one may feel like “I need professional help. I can’t keep going like this.”  

This is frequently the point when people contact me. Usually individuals report deep shame and guilt about their suffering – some feel they should be able to solve their own problem, others report knowing what they need to do to feel better but, despite their best intentions, have trouble following through on their plans.

When I meet you, my first priority is to work collaboratively to understand the difficulties that are interfering with your hopes and aspirations and the context in which they are occurring. This often involves an exploration of current life circumstances, family dynamics, cultural background, relationship patterns, sources of stress, eating habits, substance-use patterns, areas of strengths, dashed hopes and sources of support.

This initial process usually takes about three meetings. You will have a chance to meet with me and experience my therapeutic approach.  I will share with you my observations and reflections and discuss with you options for healing and growth. After this point, you may choose to continue in therapy with me.  Moving forward together, we will work to develop your capacity for emotional openness and resilience, and skills for change and empowerment.  

Please explore the section About Me to learn more about my training.