About

Feeling Warmly Welcomed

That is my initial goal for you when we meet virtually or at my office. In the first sessions, we will start a comfortable conversation about what has brought you to therapy and what your hopes are.

My practice seeks to treat everyone equally. There are no societally structured biases. All are welcome regardless of race, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, religion, and other intersectional categories. As a white male, I have tried, and continue to try, to do my inner work to address inherent bias.

Over time, as the therapeutic relationship grows, the conversation will unfold to new, exciting, and deeper levels of insight, trust, and healing. There are no cookie-cutter solutions here! Over the years, I have amassed a stockpile of strategies proven to help clients overcome difficulties and achieve their therapy goals. We will mutually decide on which approach is the best fit for you.

There is absolutely no pressure for you to be anyone other than who you are in this moment, exactly where you are along your path. The experience can feel like a breath of much-needed fresh air! It is my job to help you draw forth your most authentic self.

Feeling Safe and Heard

You may have noticed that in the busyness of today’s world, finding the space to pause, gather your thoughts, and receive expert guidance is a rare commodity. That is what my therapy practice is all about. I want to get to know you and find out what your most substantial hopes and dreams are.

Our critical inner guides often drown out the noise and stress of daily life. We are usually caught up in fulfilling socially sanctioned roles (like Mom or Dad, spouse, sibling, employee, caregiver, etc.) and forget who we really are, why we are here, and where our dreams went. We bury wishes deep inside ourselves because someone told us they do not matter.

These experiences often spill out as behaviors and feelings become problems for our family members and us. Anger outbursts, addictions, compulsions, and escapes are some examples of how unacknowledged feelings, challenging experiences, and repressed wishes can show up in our lives.

Making the connections between emotions, thoughts, and behaviors bring a sense of manageability to what before felt out of control.

Exploration, Adventure, and Discovery

Watching you find new ground to stand on, plant roots, and grow is one of my greatest pleasures! Exciting ‘a-ha’ moments, discoveries, and surprises will crop up along the compelling and, at times, meandering path of therapy.

We each can grow and heal when we remove the things that are blocking us. It is a beautiful feeling when the mind, heart, and body come into alignment. Like a physical injury, once we set the broken bone, or the deep cut is cleaned and stitched, the wound heals of its own accord.

Similarly, our own intuitions, emotions, and other inner guides will move us toward healing in psychotherapy. However, an outside framework for this process must be accessed, such as a therapy setting, to provide a safe space, help remove blockages, and receive validation for fresh growth.

About Me

I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to pursue my mission in life to be in a position to help people. My path has been rocky at times. There were instances when I needed help discerning the right course, and I am grateful for all the helpers I found along the way. These guides helped me overcome my blockages and turn seeming deficits into valuable assets for helping others. I feel I have a gift for working with complex trauma and dissociation.

As an undergrad I studied at UC Santa Barbara and Middlebury College. I am now 18 years into my professional career as a mental health therapist and completed my master’s in social work at Denver University in 2002, where I focused on family systems therapy. I received my licensure as a licensed clinical social worker and addictions counselor certification a few years later.

Before returning to my earliest career interest in mental health in my late thirties, I worked for many years in the fields of business and law, outdoor education, and as an outdoor guide in high school and college.

When it came time for a mid-life career change, I drew on these earliest exciting and enjoyable work experiences to find my true motivations and interests. I returned to the outdoor and adventure education field as a way to transition back to the mental health field.

Treks in the outdoors and nature are a central part of my self-care and therapy. Post-graduate professional training includes most recently Internal Family Systems (IFS) Level One training. I also have several years of solution-focused therapy studies; trauma-focused modalities such as cognitive processing therapy, brainspotting, and EMDR; cognitive-behavioral therapy; mindfulness-based practices; and ecopsychology.

What I care about most include….

Creating and maintaining conditions conducive to safety, equality, and freedom for everyone.

Detoxing from white privilege and learning about the experiences of others.

Being a conduit between differing groups.

Acting to find creative solutions to conflict.

Guiding others toward better ways to solve problems.

Helping others overcome blockages ,so they can find their voice and personal power.