My goal as a psychologist is to find solutions that work for you on an individual basis, helping you to discover the true potential of your life. We can work together to resolve challenges and find comfort in managing difficulties you may face.
I am a licensed psychologist who provides individual, couples, family, and group psychotherapy for individuals across the adult lifespan, ranging from young adults to geriatrics. I place emphasis on establishing a safe and trusting therapeutic relationship in an effort to help patients facilitate meaningful life changes, to ease suffering, and to work toward achieving personal goals.
I have a unique interest in helping individuals, couples, and families experiencing major life transitions, struggling with relationship issues, or navigating challenges associated with LGBTQ concerns. I also enjoy working with individuals who are adjusting to acute or chronic illness, facing end-of-life issues, and those who are coping with grief/bereavement.
I utilize an eclectic approach tailored for each unique individual’s needs, focusing on treatment modalities shown by research to be most effective. I am dedicated to creating a warm and caring atmosphere wherein positive life changes can be achieved and a healthier lifestyle can be established.
Regardless of the obstacles someone may be facing in life, I consider it a privilege to help them to establish meaningful change. I understand that the patients I see are entrusting me to give them the right resources to guide them down a new path, with a new perspective, so they can achieve their own goals. With a healthy balance of listening, guiding, and even learning, I take pride in using my own experience and resources to help people as they begin down that new path. Whether you, or someone you know may be struggling, it is important to take that first step toward feeling better. Oftentimes, that begins with just one phone call.
I consider all my patients to be more than just another name, or an appointment. Therapy is meant to be a completely individualized experience, and I treat it as such, with deep compassion and absolutely no judgment. Not only do I want to provide support and encouragement for each of my patients, it is my goal to offer them practical resources that they can put into practice immediately in their lives. I use both modern approaches and tried and true methods to fit each patients individual needs with understanding, no matter who they are, or their particular walk of life. Everyone can achieve more personal growth and strength, and it’s an honor to work on that together.
I pride myself on being more than just someone to listen, but someone to help you look at things a different way. It’s important to face the challenges of life head-on, but with the right tools and resources in your arsenal. That all starts with a healthy mind, and a fresh perspective. From there, focusing on your well-being, mental and emotional health, and physical wellness comes into play like never before. You’re taking the first steps on a journey, but you’re not taking them alone.
Specialties & Issues:
Alcohol Abuse
Anger Management
Anxiety
Behavioral Issues
Bipolar Disorder
Career Counseling
Chronic health issues and Oncology
Codependency
Coping Skills
Depression
Dual Diagnosis
Family Conflict
Grief
Infertility
Infidelity
LGBTQ concerns
Life Coaching
Life Transitions
Marital and Premarital
Men’s Issues
Obesity
Parenting
Peer Relationships
Pregnancy, Prenatal, Postpartum
Racial Identity
Self Esteem
Sexual Abuse
Sleep or Insomnia
Stress
Transgender
Weight Loss
Women’s Issues
As a professional, my role is to guide you as you take steps towards positive life changes, healing, and a healthy mind. Together we’ll work to uncover and better understand your personal day-to-day challenges that detract from your life and focus, while identifying and practicing ways of effectively managing life’s stressors.
Consultation
I offer a free telephone consultation so both you and I can determine whether or not we feel that we would be a good match!
Rates and Reduced Fees
$175 – $275. If you cannot afford my fee, please let me know because I do have a limited sliding scale or I can assist with referrals to other professionals in the community.
Insurance
I provide all the necessary paperwork for my patient’s to be reimbursed by their insurance provider. Many of my patients receive some form of reimbursement from their insurance. Please call your insurance provider to determine your coverage.
Cancellation Policy
If you do not attend your scheduled appointment, and you have not notified me at least 24 hours in advance, you will be required to pay the full cost of the session.
Payment
Cash, Credit Card or check accepted for payment at the time of service.
Please find the following helpful forms.
Please fill out the registration form prior to our appointment.
What can therapy do for me?
There are a variety of benefits that can come from therapy, and they tend to be individualized. Psychologists are there to provide levels of support, teach certain skills, and help patients discover new coping strategies for things such as anxiety, depression, and stress. You don’t need to have a ‘major disorder’ to find a benefit in therapy. In fact, if you’re simply looking for personal growth in any aspect of your life, you can typically find the skills and resources through therapy to help with family problems, marital issues, and more. Essentially, a psychologist offers a different way of looking at things – perhaps a perspective you haven’t yet considered, which makes it easier to point you in the right direction, and find the solutions you’re looking for in life.
Of course, psychologists can’t just ‘fix’ everything on their own. It’s about using those resources you learn in your everyday life that can really turn things around. Still unsure about what therapy could do for you? Let’s take a look a few examples of some common benefits:
– Grasping a deeper understanding of who you are
– Identifying your goals and dreams
– Obtaining the right skills for bettering your life’s relationships
– Learning resources to put an end to the issues that brought you to therapy
– Managing problem areas in your personal life, like anger, stress, depression, etc.
– Creating new patterns of behavior for yourself
– Changing your problem-solving perspective
– Boosting your self-esteem and confidence
If I feel as though I can handle my issues on my own, is therapy really necessary?
There isn’t a person alive who doesn’t experiences challenges of some kind throughout their life. For many, having additional support and understanding when it comes to the obstacles you’ve faced can prove very helpful. In all actuality, therapy is ideal for people who understand themselves enough to realize they actually could use some help, instead of denying it. Noticing that your life isn’t necessarily where you want it to be is a big realization and admittance, and taking the steps to change that for the better is something to be incredibly proud of. You’re taking the first step down an incredible path that can lead to long-lasting benefits for the rest of your life, even when challenges come up again.
What makes people go to therapy in the first place? How do I know if it’s the right decision?
Everyone’s reasons for coming to therapy are different, whether they’re going through a big life change, or a specific event like divorce, or just aren’t dealing with stressful situations ideally. Sometimes, the assistance of therapy can not only help with specific situations, but personal issues as well. Depression, anxiety, relationship issues, and even low-self esteem are often common reasons to seek out help. You may start out looking for one thing, and find on your journey that you can gain so much more through learning the right skills, and having the right kind of encouragement.
In terms of making the ‘right decision’ for yourself, of course therapy is a personal decision, but if you take a look at your life, and your desire is to make a change that starts from within, it’s likely that some form of psychotherapy could be a great benefit.
What can I expect from therapy?
Just as the reasons for therapy are different for everyone, most people can expect different experiences. The good news is that therapy is completely individually-focused, which is why everyone can get something different out of it. Generally, your life, your history, and any relevant insights will be important to the specific discussions, but in a very personal and individualized manner. Sometimes therapy can be focused on a specific need, in which case it’s a ‘short term’ solution, while in other cases, many people go to therapy regularly, each week, to simply look for more personal growth.
Again, therapy isn’t meant to be some kind of ‘quick fix’ where you simply sit back and listen. It is a participatory experience. The more you involve yourself in the process, the better results you’re bound to see. It’s a practice in everyday living, in which you take what you learn from the session, and apply it to your life.
How should one consider medication vs. psychotherapy?
While medication has been proven to help with many different disorders, it has also been proven that time and time again, it simply isn’t enough on its own. Medication often treats the symptoms of a problem, without getting to the root of solving it, which is where therapy comes in. The decision to take psychotropic medications or not, is a highly personal one, and your personal wishes will be honored. If in the course of treatment, you decided you might benefit from medications, I will refer you out to an appropriate provider.
Do the topics in each therapy session remain private?
There is practically nothing more important in therapy than confidentiality. As with any doctor/patient agreement, your privacy is of the utmost importance. A good psychologist understands the vulnerability and openness that must come from each patient in order to really get through, so therapy itself can take a lot of trust, and that needs to be developed over time. Make sure your psychologist offers a confidentiality agreement before you begin your sessions, typically called ‘informed consent.’ It is your choice if you’d like to have your psychologist share anything significant with your other healthcare providers, but this can only be done with your written consent. Nothing you share in your sessions is to be told to anyone else, with the rare exceptions of suspected abuse of any kind (including child protection), or if the psychologist has any reason to believe their patient may hurt themselves, or others. These situations are a matter of ethical procedures, and sometimes, even the law.
The following links are listed to provide you with additional online mental health information and counseling resources. Nothing here is meant to replace professional care.
Associations & Institutes:
American Mental Health Counselors Association
National Mental Health Association
National Alliance on Mental Illness
Addiction and Recovery Resources:
Alcoholics Anonymous
Narcotics Anonymous
Al-Anon
SAMHSA’S Treatment and Recovery
Addictions and Recovery
Depression:
The Depression Center
Depression & Bipolar Support Alliance
Help for Depression
Anxiety:
Anxiety.org
Anxiety and Depression Association of America
The Anxiety Network
Suicide/Crisis:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Borderline Personality Disorder:
BPD Central
BPD Resource Center
National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder