Specialty

• Learning to Live Again & Better After Cancer  Many people diagnosed with cancer (and their loved ones) report feeling depressed, anxious, and uncertainty for their future. In addition, studies show that 1/2 patients impacted by a cancer diagnosis, report a residual sadness, feel more socially isolated and often feel anxious of a reoccurrence once treatment has ended. However, some studies have also shown individuals who invested in psychotherapy show greater quality of life, a renewed sense of hope for their future, found meaning and purpose in their life, improved their emotional and physical energy, and developed an overall positive sense of well- being. They learned to live again and better.
• Life Coaching - Better Life Today:  You know you want more out of life and you know there is a better life out there for you. You just don't know how to obtain it and/or what keeps you from moving forward. Better Life Training offers you the opportunity to live your best life - it's all about self-improvement (and breaking those subconscious patterns that keep you stuck). Let me help you identify and eliminate self-defeating beliefs & patterns and begin living the life you have only dreamed of. I have the tools and experience to help you live your life to the fullest. Begin living your best life today.

Other Professional Interests

• Depression  - The World Health Organization reports depression is expected to be the #1 illness in the world by the year 2009. Many people with depression experience feelings of sadness, despair, low self-esteem, low self-reproach and hopelessness. The symptoms can be so severe that it begins to impact their day-to-day living, their relationships with family & friends, their work productivity, etc. The good news is studies show the most effective treatment for depression is with psychotherapy, especially when it is combined with medication (which can also prevent a relapse).
• Anxiety  - Fear and worry are inevitable in life. Worry about a relationship, the well-being of your children, or waiting for test results from your doctor are all normal and natural aspects of life. Not worrying about these life situations would suggest something is wrong! People with an Anxiety Disorder feel fearful, uneasy and/or excessively worry when there is no obvious reason for it. In addition, their symptoms are more intense, the duration of their symptoms lasts longer and their anxiety begins to interfere in their personal and/or professional life. Common symptoms of an Anxiety disorder include but not limited to: persistent worry and fear that is out of proportion and/or unrealistic, easily fatigued, irritable, keyed up-restless feeling, difficulty concentrating and/or remembering, trouble sleeping and/or unexplained physical symptoms (heart palpitations, trembling, nausea, chest pain/discomfort, etc). Many anxiety disorders respond very well to treatment and in a relatively short amount of time. Most anxiety disorders are treated with Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), medication, or a combination of both.
• Trauma  - Emotional and/or physical trauma can caused by many forms: rape, domestic violence, accidents, natural disasters, abandonment, etc. These experiences can leave the traumatized person feeling depressed, anxious, fearful, out of control, irritable, angry, numb, spontaneously crying, despair and/or hopeless (to name just a few). Some of the more traditional approaches to treat trauma include: “talk therapy”, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, and/or systematic desensitizing.
• Grief and Loss  - Grief and loss are an inevitable part of life. The most common obvious losses are: death or separation from a loved one, loss of one’s health, and/ or loss of a job. Some not so common losses are: moving, loss of beauty, loss of dreams, money, etc. For many people in American culture, they often hear advice such as “don't be sad, they are in a better place now”, “you’ll find someone better” or “you need to pull yourself up by your boot straps and move on”. While these comments can be well intended, they do not help the person grieving the opportunity and necessary healing process that must happen. Moreover, grieving can be to painful and the fear of not being able to move past the pain can be even more freighting. Psychotherapy can help support you through the healing process and can help you deal more effectively with your loss than you are able to do alone.

My Approach

Clients feel most successful and positive about therapy when they are able to participate in their emotional care (not just talk about it). I have the belief people do not want to be in therapy for the rest of their life reliving their horrible childhood experiences - they lived through it once, which is quite enough. I have a directive approach and give homework assignments to help you meet your stated goals for therapy as quickly as possible. I use a variety of therapeutic modalities, as I do not believe any one therapeutic model works for all people in all situations. I draw strongly from Cognitive-Behavioral techniques to facilitate change and Gestalt Theory to explain human behavior.

To me, all individuals have the ability to have a more meaningful, happier and healthier life. My goal is to provide you with counseling services that address your stated concerns in a professional, safe, respectful and supportive environment. As your therapist, I can help you understand your thoughts and feelings and accept them more clearly than you have been able to do alone - and without fear of being judged or persecuted. As a result you will have the coping skills and tools to live a life you deserve.

Fees:  For some people, they may feel therapy/coaching is an extravagance that they cannot afford. However, studies have shown people who are emotionally healthy, have better relationships, enjoy better health, take pleasure in their work and they earn more money! So think of therapy & coaching as investing in one of the most important things in the world - YOU!

Appointments:  Office hours are Monday , Tuesday and Thursday. I offer early morning and evening appointments. Sessions are 50-minutes, except for the first appointment which may run for an hour and 1/2.