• “Vocation is the place where our deep gladness meets the world’s deep need.”


    ― Frederick Buechner

  • “The opposite of faith is not doubt, it’s certainty.”

    – Anne Lamott

     

  • Live your questions now, and perhaps even without knowing it, you will live along some distant day into your answers.

    -Rainer Maria Rilke

Welcome

There is often fear, doubt, expectancy, or a some mix these and other feelings as you search for a psychotherapist who can be helpful to you in your time of need. I hope to give you some information that you find useful in preparing for psychotherapy, selecting a therapist, and information about me and my practice so you can decide if I might be a fit for you. Psychotherapy is most helpful when there is a strong match between you and your needs and your therapist’s style and personality. Psychotherapists are as unique as their clients.

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy is not easily described in general statements. It varies depending on the personalities of  the  psychologist  and  patient,  and  the  particular  problems  one  brings  forward.  Psychotherapy can  have  benefits  and  risks.  Therapy often  involves  discussing  unpleasant aspects  of  your  life,  and lead to uncomfortable  feelings  like  sadness, anger, loneliness, and helplessness. Some of these might even be directed at your therapist. On the other hand, psychotherapy has also been shown to have benefits for people who go through it. But there are no guarantees of what you will experience. Research says that the relationship between the client and the therapist is the most important element to successful therapy: 1)  your sense that you can collaborate with your therapist, 2) that your therapist works on the problems that you want to,  and 3) that they work on those problems in a way that fits your personality and approach.  You should be selective in who you enter this journey of healing and growth.

My Approach

My approach is collaborative and can take a variety of forms. I am influenced by relational psychoanalytic psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness based therapy, problem solving approaches, psychoeducation, spiritually oriented psychotherapy (for those who seek this). In therapy, I ask questions, make observations, explore thoughts, feelings, family history, and behaviors. I give feedback, provide alternate thoughts for consideration, provide skills training, and recommend other resources.

Psychoanalysis and Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy

In May of 2020, I completed an extensive training program for psychoanalytic psychotherapy though Oregon Psychoanalytic Center.  Psychoanalytic psychotherapy explores experiences, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.  No thought, feeling, or behavior is taken for granted.  A hallmark of psychoanalytic psychotherapy is the exploration of the therapeutic relationship. 

Presently, I am a Psychoanalytic Candidate with the Psychoanalytic Institute of Northern California.