Sometimes our world feels chaotic and sometimes it feels empty.  Sometimes these problems can exist in our inner lives and sometimes they have to do with external circumstances.  When these problems keep showing up again and again, it might be time to get help.  But what do you do if these problems seem too complex or too personal to talk about with just anyone?  Is it time to talk with a professional?

Have you heard or believed any of these statements yourself?

• "There is no such thing as a mental health problem"

• "Therapy is a kind of brainwashing"

• "Professional counseling was never created for people like me"

• "People who complain of emotional problems have weak personalities"

• "Just accept that life is full of tragedies and get on with it”

• "You can never recover from a mental health problem"

• "You can snap out of your distress on your own, if you have enough willpower"

• "You shouldn't waste time in counseling when you can simply take a pill"

• "All you need are your family and friends"

I believe that you should not suffer alone, and I believe that you can learn to achieve peace, happiness, and better coping.  If you cannot snap out of your distress on your own, perhaps I can help you to find your strengths.

In individual counseling, my focus is on you; my responsibility is to serve you alone as my client.  As an ethical therapist, however, it is my responsibility to make room for and to understand not just your personality, but also your worldview.  This includes your culture and your upbringing.  I will strive to see you fully, as well as see the goal that you have in sight.

As a Psychologist, I am not licensed to prescribe medication or other medical interventions.  Only a medical professional like a Psychiatrist can do this.  Medication can be helpful for some people, who might regain the emotional balance to benefit from counseling.  In rare cases medication might be necessary for a long time.  However, in the majority of cases, medication relieves symptoms only.  It does not offer a permanent cure.  Research has shown that as a treatment, only psychotherapy has the ability to bring about long-term change, enduring coping skills, and emotional resilience.

In individual therapy, you and I will work one-on-one.  This requires privacy, confidentiality, and trust so that you feel comfortable enough to fully disclose your more challenging past experiences and your innermost beliefs and emotions.  In our early meetings, I will likely ask you questions about yourself; I will allow you to describe your thoughts, emotions, and experiences so that you can start to organize and make meaning of them.  At other times in our work, I can remain quietly present while you take some room to explore; sometimes we just need to carve out space in our lives to feel.  In counseling, we might also spend a fair amount of time together in your head, examining habits of mind that are excessively negative, stress-inducing, or contradictory.  Lastly, we might take a look at your behaviors; I might teach you new coping skills and then coach you to improve those skills.

Interested?  Feel free to look around my website some more, and when you are ready, contact me for your free 15-minute consultation about my services.