While initially seeking therapy for a single issue, it’s often clear that there may be various challenges and strengths that emerge for you during this process. Because of this, I use an integrative approach in working with people and groups on a wide spectrum of issues.

Some of my specialty areas include:

With couples, I address communication issues, negotiating open relationships, repairing intimacy after conflict or betrayal, and when relationships are ending, I work with the couple to attain healthy closure–by grieving the relationship, each person taking responsibility for their role. Acknowledging the reward and challenges, taking care of business and letting go are essential components of this process.

With families, I address issues of family planning, life cycle transitions–especially the decision to bring children into the family, or to blend families.  If a couple is deciding to separate, I work to make sure each family member’s point of view can be heard and understood in the process.

With individuals, I work particularly with people who are in some stage of gender questioning or transitioning, and with people at all stages of the coming out process. I work with individuals healing through childhood abuse. I explore the impacts of poverty on people and their families, and the experience of class shifts within a lifetime. Through my life experience and education, I have learned that mental health and physical ability can be a changing state. I specialize in tending to this truth.

Philosophy

I believe that we all carry within us the map to our own healing and wellbeing. Our work together is to locate that map and to navigate the terrain of your life.

I believe people exist within systems, be they our families, our workplace, our intimate relationships or our relationship to society. At the same time, we as individuals are faced with both acute and prolonged situations that can result in anxiety, grief and trauma. Because anxiety is a part of life, I work with my clients to understand the choices available to them in order to soothe anxiety and lead to a greater personal freedom. I assist my clients in working through these difficult situations. I am comfortable with highly sensitive topics like spirituality, sexuality and all sides of abuse. In working  with couples and families, we work to build closeness, improve effective communication and to heal emotional wounds and traumas. I work to draw on and expand the client’s strengths and external resources.

I bring to my work a strong consideration of the political issues of race, class, gender, sexuality and (dis)ability.   What good is a just world if our hearts are broken? What use is a healthy heart if we don’t then use our hearts to make the world a more healed and whole place?