I tend to notice patterns that might keep you stuck. If I see something, I may ask you about it, but I don’t assume I’m right. I don’t know you better than you know yourself. I tend to be non-judgmental, realizing that there is rarely one “right way” to do anything. Yet at the same time, I’ve observed there often are more efficient ways to do some things and we may discover that together. Therapy with me can be light. I have a sense of humor, and it often comes out, but I can also stay with you in your darkest places. I can be deeply curious and may ask a lot of questions (this drove my grade schoolteachers crazy but serves me well now). One client once described me as “a compassionate psychological Sherlock Holmes,” uncovering her shrouded mechanisms of unexplored defenses. I have also been described as a “caring confidant” who can stay with you in your pain. If you choose to see me, expect that we will be looking at your life objectively (cognitively from the head), as well as emotionally (feelings from the heart).

Yes, I work with people from 18 to 94. I have been known to see clients as young as 16 who want to come to therapy.

Yes. I’m legally and ethically mandated to keep everything we discuss confidential. There are some exceptions to this confidentiality which we will discuss, and you will be fully informed before we begin. The big ones are if you are a harm to yourself or someone else, if there is the possibility of ongoing child or elder abuse, or if I am subpoenaed. If you would like to know more before starting, please call me and we will address your concerns.

I usually start by just going over the confidentiality part of the paperwork which I may have sent you before your first session. You will then be invited to tell me as much as you feel comfortable about yourself and what brought you in. The more details you can give me, the better. If this sounds uncomfortable to you because you don’t generally talk about your issues, don’t worry. I won’t force you to disclose anything you don’t want to, nor are you expected to tell your entire life history in the first few sessions. I may have thoughts, reflections, questions and possible suggestions which I will offer, but none will be offered without your approval. I wish to underscore again the importance of your comfort in telling me what’s going on. If you’re uncomfortable, please don’t push forward without us exploring your discomfort. It may be resistance, but it is also possible that I’m not the right person for you. If that is the case, I will do my best to help you find someone better suited to you and your needs.

I wish I had a perfect answer to this question, but every person is different in terms of what they need. Each situation is different, but after we meet, I’ll have a better sense of what you might need and, of course, I’m open to discussing frequency at any time during the counseling process. With that said, one of the best predictors for how long your therapy will take is to look back over your life. How long have you had the issue which has brought you here? How were things before the current issue started? If you’ve been relatively happy all your life and what you are now experiencing is something new with a specific cause, then you may only need one or two sessions. Sometimes depression is caused by physical exhaustion which is easily addressed by taking a real vacation! If things are pretty good in most areas of your life or in your relationship(s) but there are a few things causing you problems, then you may just need to learn some simple life skills. If you’ve had some persistent problems plaguing you throughout your life, it may take a little longer. In cases where (as a child) a person’s growth and development were sabotaged by abuse, ignorance, poor parenting or traumatic life experiences, then there is a possibility that we might spend a bit of time together.

The most accurate way to answer that right now is to go onto my Online Appointment Scheduler and find an availability that works for you. This is found in the Appointments section in the Getting Started page.