I have been a licensed marriage and family therapist for twenty seven years (wow, time flies). Before that I practiced as an intern for two years. During this time I continue to be amazed at the amount of diversity and variation in the human experience.  I have also been trained in a variety of modalities ranging from psychoanalytic psychotherapy to cognitive behavioral therapy, including narrative therapy and solution focused. Over the years, I have developed my own theory and practice based on my years of experience, my training, and my values.

I want to make the world a better place. Unhappy people in pain often cause pain in others and in themselves (mostly inadvertently, but sometimes deliberately). This continues the pain cycle. I want to help people live happier and fulfilled lives, where they make decisions that are in their own, their family’s and their community’s best interest.

I believe this is best accomplished by honestly facing your life and learning to regulate your emotional response to it. When you are in the grips of an emotion you make emotional decisions that often have a myriad of negative consequences. Learning how to deal with anger, disappointment, desire and lack of control, are fundamental  to living a happy life.

I believe that happiness is a skill not a state of being. You can learn how to negotiate the ups and downs of life with grace. Like a wise man said: You can’t control the waves, but you can learn to surf!

I offer psychotherapy for individual adults, couples and families, with the goal of uncovering patterns that keep you stuck and empowering you to change them.