My Approach

Real Relationship

Since seeing my first client in 1997, my clinical approach has evolved over the years to focus more on emotions and the body, or what is known as somatic therapy. What has never changed is my dedication to helping clients achieve the best possible outcomes. The evidence-based framework that has informed my practice the most is called the Contextual Model. It says that optimal outcomes – a reduction in clinical symptoms and an enhanced quality of life – occur when a client and counselor:

• Form a real relationship
• Mutually agree on the focus of therapy and which interventions will be used
• Utilize evidence-based practices

Early in my career I spent a lot of time talking with clients and less time attuning to their emotions. Today I understand that the most important ingredients in building a real relationship in therapy include emotional connection, empathy, trust, and me being myself. If you decide you want to give therapy a try, know that I will put our relationship at the center of everything we do together.

Expectations

I ensure therapy expectations are aligned by helping you better understand the problem for which you are seeking help, and matching it with the best solutions available. Here my systems background helps me identify powerful leverage points for change that are often missed in traditional models of therapy.

You should also know that I am not a fan of diagnoses, labels, and pathologizing every challenge that surfaces in life. While I embrace the value of using validated criteria to characterize problems that have clear links to evidence-based interventions, I take a broader view of behavior and believe much of what we do is adaptive, even if how we go about adapting is not that healthy.