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Private Practice: LGBTQ Affirmative, Reality Based, Function Oriented

Couples

 

I work with couples struggling to deepen their relationship or are slipping from each other. I walk with couples that are at odds over religion, belief systems, or other fundamental concerns. It is important to have honesty, clear communication, and courage in the face of differences. I see the total unraveling of a family over changes and transitions in life as unnecessary and reactive.  Exploring the root of the hurt, uncovering our expectations and projections becomes essential. Couples of any composition are welcome. You will find acceptance, honesty, and a partner in achieving reasonable goals and outcomes.

Individual

 

I work with latency children, adolescents, transitional aged adults and adults. I am particularly interested in dealing with problems that make life less than it can be for you. I do not promise happiness or total relief but have found working together we can achieve some contentment and satisfaction in the face of reality and factors we just can’t control. I am interested in working with problems and transitions that grow from disillusionment, betrayal, and adversity. I employ trauma informed principles to make the experience of therapy safe and as comfortable as possible. That is not to say there won’t be strong emotions, uncomfortable realizations or the pain of acceptance but it will be safe.

 

If you are experiencing existential questions, anxiety about the world, transitions from a religion/spiritual tradition or being socially isolated, I would appreciate working with you. My role will be to walk with you on your path. I will offer different ways to see your world, a way to interpret others statements, pressures, and wishes. Mostly, I will work with you not on you.

Testing and Screening

 

I have conducted psychology testing and screening for children, adolescents and adults. While this services is intensive and informative, I use testing to help form the foundation for how to best approach the presenting issues.  Determining functioning, assessing ability to engage meaningfully in treatment, understanding the personality and triggers is vital but not sufficient to meeting the client where they are. My testing and screening include neuro-psychological screenings, personality descriptions, and cognitive structures and abilities. This is a service reserved for clarification, not for pigeon holing, finding the problems but highlighting the unique capacities and dimensions of the client. Testing is adjunct to listening, gathering historical data, and observing the behaviors in real-world situations. I hold that tests are a tool to support and help.  Let me have the opportunity to explore the dimensions to be understood and properly brought to the table of help and support.

 

Methods

 

I work differently than many therapists. That is not to say what they do is not powerful. Rather, I want to partner with each person inviting me into their life. I use a process called Feedback Informed Treatment.  That means I ask for your, the service seeker’s, perspective on your life, your struggles each week. This is a formal process that takes about 2 minutes.  Four quick questions. Also, I ask that each person in my practice give me feedback on how “this session” and each session  thereafter impacted them. I am committed to improving for you, for each person that allows me to work with them.  This is another 2 minute process. The information from these formal surveys help to make sure you are heard, your problems are talked out and that I am respectful of how you want to learn and grow.

 

Unless you are strongly against it, I may utilize audio/video recordings of each session. This is different than many other therapists. There are two reasons that come to mind. First, it provides me with the opportunity to review what we shared in any particular session. Since I am just a human, I cannot and will not catch all the interactions than might help me guide you best. No memory is deep enough to remember all the interactions over an hour. This is not to say I will review each session but that I have the ability to re-see, to re-hear.   It is for me, so I can become the best therapist for you. Second, many times those who I get to walk with also forget, don’t remember, or can’t believe something they said or indicated. There is research suggesting that showing you previous behaviors, especially the changes and progress, helps a lot. It provides the safety that we are on the same page and that we can revisit portions of previous sessions that might help with getting over a present hurdle. 

 

Don’t worry, after the first few minutes, the recording will not impact our relationship, the work, or your ability to be honest. All recording will be held confidential, have an expiration date, and available to you.

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