Therapeutic Approach

After 36 years as a psychotherapist, my views and practical approach are complex and cannot be easily summarized.  I do not try to fit you into any one theoretical framework.  Instead I focus on who you are and how you are in the present moment.  I use your present concern as the starting point of a collaborative exploration into new ways of being and doing things differently.

It is important you accept that you must do the work of any change process.  You must accept there is no such thing as magic.  It takes a good deal of courage to look at oneself with raw honesty.  I honor this process and join you in the journey.

I believe altruism, humor, acceptance, respect, kindness, gratitude, forgiveness, and love are essential ingredients for a life well lived. 

I believe it helps to have a moral/philosophical compass to guide you through your life.

I believe that what is right with you is far more important than what is wrong, and that to persist in trying to repair the wrong, taking small steps over time, is more important than perfection.

I believe there is room for God and Spirit inside the therapy room as well as outside, and that faith is a valuable agent of living well.

I believe we are all mentors to those who come after us and that to pass on what has been found to be of value is a solemn duty we each shoulder, like it or not.