Philosophy

My philosophy regarding the counseling process is somewhat the same as being a good parent. With every meeting, if I’m doing a good job, then I’m constantly working myself out of a job! I believe, as a matter of ethics, it’s my responsibility to help my clients develop the life skills so that eventually, they don’t need me — not the reverse. The days of taking years to “get the job done” are thankfully behind us. ​

It is my responsibility to figure out the areas in someone’s life which may benefit from a little “tweaking.” Pain is Mother Nature’s way of letting us know something needs to change. So discussions in the office are targeted towards developing the insight and understanding so that those changes can be made. Understanding leads to insight and insight can lead to healthy changes.

I often say that you cannot change what you do not see, so my clients and I somewhat become “life detectives,” figuring out what could benefit by being seen or understood a bit differently. It is at that point the client has an opportunity to make changes in order to gain a healthier and happier life or relationship.

Basically, I view myself as a bus driver. Clients begin by letting me know what is causing them unhappiness or dissatisfaction. It becomes my job to help them get direction so that their lives begin to reflect the happiness, contentment and serenity that they deserve. I also have a responsibility to help get them to where they’d like to be in the most direct way and in the least amount of time as possible. Although this is true, I also must make the “ride” as productive, warm and caring as I can.

You may be getting a sense that my office is where some serious work is done. I run my practice in such a way where we all “roll up our sleeves” and get to work — usually having some chuckles along the way. I believe we can all benefit from some good counseling. After all, is there ever a ceiling on how good something can be?

Having read the above, you may now have an idea as to whether you and I would be a good match. The truth is, you’ll never know for sure until we meet and share a bit of time together. I believe in that first meeting, you’ll know if a particular clinician is the one for you.

I feel honored to speak to prospective clients on the phone, so if you have questions about me or my practice, please call. We’ll take a few minutes to get to know each other and I’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have.