My Specialties & Methods – How I work

Sometimes just identifying the problem can bring about desired change.

My Specialties – I have training & experience with (alphabetically):

~       ADD / ADHD – Children, adolescents, and adults,

~       Abuse & Trauma – Of any kind; with victims as well as those closest to them,

~       Adolescents & Children – Behavioral, emotional, family, school and social problems; trauma and abuse,

~       Anxiety & Stress – chronic or stress-based anxiety and panic-attacks,

~       Attachment & Adoption – Children, parents, & adult adoptees; the whole “triad”

~       Bipolar Disorder – Individuals and those they are closest too,

~       Communication & Conflict Resolution – Couples, families, and job-related,

~       Family Stress & Conflict – Due to developmental causes, divorce and re-marriage, chronic or traumatic stress, and health problems.

~       Marriage & Intimacy – Pre-marital and marital therapy, as well as therapy before and during separation / divorce to help couples “divorce well.”

My primary goal is to help my clients reach the goals they desire.

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My Methods & Techniques (alphabetical) – I try to work in ways that “fit” my clients and that help them move toward their goals most effectively.

~       Adolescents & Children – I am a child-advocate by training and by heart. I try to empower teens, children, and parents / caregivers to build healthy relationships and clear, shared goals. When that’s not possible, I work with adolescents and children with the full context of their lives in mind in order to assist them toward greater health, success, and happiness whatever they are facing.

~       Couples – My goal is to help couples build the meaningful and satisfying relationships that they want. I base my work on John Gottman’s method of marital therapy which is a respectful and compassionate approach emphasizing conflict reduction, building the relational friendship, and enhancing self-understanding and “intentional empathy.” I include helpful information and techniques from emotion-focused, family systems, and PREPARE / ENRICH approaches. I draw from gender research, attachment theory, and proven, simple, positive communication strategies as well.

Separation & Divorce – I work with couples – anywhere in the separation / divorce process – to help them:

1)      Evaluate if they want to end their relationship and, if so, how?

2)      If children are involved, they are my primary concern. I help parents keep what is best for their children – now and in the future – foremost in mind,

3)      I help my clients end their relationships in mutually respectful ways considering their overall health and future relationships.

4)      After a relationship is over, I help clients reorient themselves toward the future and begin to construct a new life that is meaningful and fulfilling.

~       EMDR* & Trauma – I am a Level II, EMDR therapist. EMDR is a “scientifically validated integrative psychotherapy” for use with victims of abuse and trauma. I incorporate EMDR into a holistic treatment plan focused on: 1) functioning well every day, 2) healing and full recovery, 3) personal growth and – if possible – finding larger meaning in traumatic experiences. I integrate other therapeutic approaches with EMDR as best suits the needs of my clients.

~       Individuals – My clients and I chose from a variety of methods including supportive Solution-Focused therapy, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Narrative Therapy, family systems therapies, as well as visualization, journaling, art and dream-work.

~       Skill Education & Development – I teach communication, stress-reduction, relaxation, problem-solving, prioritizing, and study skills. I help my clients build their social competence and emotion-regulation abilities and learn balanced and sustainable self-care techniques.

* EMDR stands for “Eye-Movement Desensitization Reprocessing” and includes several approaches that use tones, tactile, and “tapping” instead of eye-movement.

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