About Me
I was born in Seattle and have lived in Washington most of my life. The lakes, rivers, mountains, sound, and the ocean are my greatest source of mental health. Day trips with my family and my dog, Murphy, playing the piano, even if somewhat badly, becoming more adept on my computer, and finding wildlife in the city are a few of my favorite pass times.
My understanding and approach to understanding and helping those in psychological pain is informed by several academic disciplines as well as my own life experiences. As an undergraduate at the University of Oregon, I majored in psychology and also completed extensive course work in sociology and language and literature. During this time I became acutely aware of the impact of our culture and social environment on our interpretation of our life experiences and sense of self. Who I am is always in relationship to time (e.g., historical time, my age, my sibling order), to my place within society (e.g., ethnicity, income, religion, education, work), and to the roles I have within my family (e.g., oldest child, only boy, father, mother, aunt, great grandmother). My sense of competence, worth, value, smarts, and health is relative to others and changes from one setting to another and over time. My religion and spiritual beliefs impact how I interact with guilt, shame, blame, forgiveness, and grace. While a discussion of spiritual beliefs might not seem appropriate for a discussion about psychotherapy, in fact, psychological problems often include struggles related to guilt, shame, forgiveness of self or others, and grace.
While I enjoy an intellectual tangent, most people describe me as down to earth, practical, and playful. My hope is that those who meet with me will feel comfortable and safe while working on their personal problems.
My Approach to Assessment
Mental health is impacted by our :
Physical health
Cognitive abilities and Style
Temperment
Childhood experiences
Education
School and work successes and difficulties
Family Dynamic and place in family
Relationships with others
Spiritual beliefs and goals
My Treatment Model
The advantage of having 30 years of experience is that I have education, training, and experience in several models of therapy. Therapy is not a one size fits all endeavor. How I work depends on the type of issue you want help with, whether you are looking for something to help you feel better quickly in a short time or want help to fundamentally change how you think, feel, and relate to others. Generally, those with short term distress related to a specific event can experience significant improvement in a relatively sort time using cognitive and supportive methods.
Those who seek help with trauma, severe depression or anxiety, an eating disorder, or who have especially difficult and complex circumstances, generally require more in-depth psychotherapy. This work focuses on developing a safe therapy relationship to explore deep and intense feelings, memories, and beliefs, and to gradually work towards emotional well-being.
What I Do
Listen compassionately
Ask questions
Teach alternative ways of understanding
Provide information about "normal" and "not normal"
Help you talk about things that you haven't talked about before
Attend to dreams; use art and metaphor
Challenge you to consider different perspectives
Offer strategies for changing behaviors
Teach strategies for changing ways of thinking
Help teens navigate adolescent challenges
Help families live with love and respect
Identify and address addictions or dangerous behaviors
Team with schools, doctors, dietitians, and other professionals
Provide guidance in developing balance in life
Frequently, as therapy progresses and a person begins to trust at deeper levels, a client brings up more difficult topics, tells of painful events not mentioned initially, and may need a different approach from me. My job is to be sensitive to your changing needs and modify our work accordingly.