I have been in private practice as a counselor for almost 40 years and believe that choosing to enter into a therapeutic relationship is one of the most important decisions you can make.  The next step is to choose the person who you’ll be comfortable sharing your life with.  I will tell you about my practice so you’ll have some idea of whether this could be a good fit for you, but ultimately, if you like what I offer it’s about chemistry; you just have to try it on.

Many of us begin psychotherapy afraid of what we will discover.  I totally understand how important it is that you feel safe with me and with my environment.  We will look at your life with openness, warmth and curiosity.  When we can explore something that might seem scary with curiosity, not judgment — the rewards are great. My intention is to bring to each meeting an open mind that allows you to feel safe. With that modeling, over time, you learn to view yourself more objectively and compassionately

One of the ways that therapy was described to me in early classes is that the process is like taking off layers of an onion — it’s an unearthing of the self — it is recognizing what isn’t you.   And it’s fun. Because you’re actually unearthing wonderful things.  By getting something out of the way, what’s under it is your true self and nothing is more precious

Relationship issues have been one of the most common reasons people have come to see me.  Each partner needs to learn what their beliefs are about relationship; their history, what they expect, what they can’t talk about, what they’re afraid of, etc. Developing better communication skills and ways of working with their particular biases is crucial to knowing one another and ones self.

Another specialty is working with women on issues of body image, eating disorders, self-esteem, confidence, and boundary-setting.  My approach to these difficulties has been informed by my research into ancient matriarchal cultures, whose understanding of the archetypal feminine has been empowering to the women I’ve worked with as they learn to access the aspects of the feminine held in the unconscious.

Enlivening clients’ lives through the development of their creativity has been another major focus.  We work together to access the unconscious through dream analysis, active imagination and creative projects.

Key to any relationship I have with a client is developing their consciousness, that is their ability to inquire without judgment when looking at their patterns.  I strive to put you at ease, to let you know that this is a safe place — to trust me and see that the process is enriching