Initiating therapy can be a daunting and challenging process, and that begins with selecting a therapist around whom you will feel comfortable, safe and respected. You've taken the first step by going online to find that therapist, but it can be a difficult exercise to pick who to call out of the many choices available to you.
Although it would be very beneficial to personally interview prospective therapists, with today's busy work and personal schedules, it's not very practical to do so. The purpose of my web site is to provide some of the information you would obtain by speaking with me. It doesn't replace the initial phone consultation I offer at no charge, but hopefully it gives you a better idea if I'm the right fit for your counseling needs.
I've tried to organize my site so the high level information is easy to scan in the top section, while including additional layers of detail in this lower section. In some instances, by moving your mouse over a phrase, or even a photograph, a small window will appear with additional detail. My site is a not-so-subtle metaphor for therapy - peeling the layers of the onion to gain more insight.
It comes as no surprise that those who find psychotherapy helpful say the most important part of therapy is their relationship with the therapist. I've tried to personalize content on this site and make it conversational wherever I can, to better enable you to discern whether there might be a connection - an important element of the client-therapist relationship. I'll start that by sharing a few things about myself.
I became a therapist because I discovered that it was a large part of who I am. Even at an early age, I found that I was often the person others felt safe to let their guard down with - to share what was happening below the surface, and to seek out my advice.
As I trusted others with my own struggles and pain, and experienced their compassion and insights, it helped me on my own life journey and I desired to offer that same care to others. For me, being a therapist is about loving to listen to others, to hear their story, to share their pain, to support them in altering their course or making changes, and to be present with them during a small part of their life journey.
