About me

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor with more than 25 years of experience. I have experience in helping clients with a variety of issues including stress and anxiety, relationship issues, trauma, abuse, family conflicts, intimacy related issues and other issues. I believe that you are the expert of your story and that you have many strengths that will assist you in your healing journey.

My Counseling Style

My approach combines multiple therapeutic techniques and theories from various schools of thought to fit the unique needs of my clients. Rather than adhering to a single, rigid method like psychoanalysis or cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), I draw from a wide toolkit to create a personalized treatment plan. No single therapy is a perfect fit for everyone. I assess your specific issues, personality, and goals to select and integrate the most effective components from different therapies. My comprehensive approach allows for a holistic treatment that can be adapted as your needs change over time.

Who I work with

I work with individuals from all walks of life, including:

  • Children and adolescents dealing with issues like bullying, school stress, and peer pressure.
  • Adults facing career challenges, relationship problems, or general life transitions.
  • Couples seeking to improve communication, resolve conflicts, or rebuild trust.
  • Families struggling with dynamics, grief, or parenting challenges.
  • Older adults coping with retirement, loss, and age-related health issues.
  • And specific populations, such as veterans, people in the LGBTQ+ community, and individuals with disabilities.

The challenges I assist my clients to overcome in counseling can be grouped into several key areas:

  • Mental Health Issues: This is a primary focus. Clients work to manage and overcome conditions like anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
  • Emotional and Behavioral Problems: Regulating intense emotions, developing healthy coping mechanisms, and overcoming destructive behaviors like addiction, anger issues, and self-harm.
  • Relationship and Family Conflicts: Clients learn to communicate more effectively, set healthy boundaries, and resolve long-standing disputes, leading to stronger relationships.
  • Trauma and Grief: I provide a safe space for people to process traumatic events, such as abuse, accidents, or the loss of a loved one, and work toward healing.
  • Personal Growth and Life Transitions: Many clients seek counseling to gain self-awareness, improve self-esteem, and navigate major life changes like a career change, divorce, or relocation.

Through the counseling process, people learn to understand themselves better, develop new skills, and find healthier ways to navigate life's difficulties.

I want to ensure a safe, ethical, and effective therapeutic relationship with my clients. Some of my most important core values are the following:

  1. Clients Well-Being: It's my responsibility to promote the well-being of my clients. This means prioritizing the client's needs and best interests above all else. Decisions and actions are always made with the goal of helping the client achieve positive change and personal growth.
  2. Autonomy: I respect and promote my client's autonomy, or their right to make their own choices. This means empowering clients to be active participants in their own treatment. My job is to provide information, support, and guidance, but ultimately, the client is in control of their life and decisions. A counselor does not force their own values or opinions onto a client.
  3. Nonmaleficence: A counselor must take care to avoid actions that could harm the client, either directly or indirectly. This includes avoiding dual relationships that could exploit the client, ensuring the counselor works within their scope of competence, and taking steps to prevent harm when a client is at risk.
  4. Beneficence: Beneficence means working for the good of others. This core value goes beyond simply avoiding harm and requires me to actively contribute to the client's growth and healing. It involves being helpful, encouraging, and supportive, using one's skills to benefit the client.
  5. Justice: The principle of justice requires counselors to be fair and impartial. This means providing equitable access to counseling services for all people, regardless of their background, race, religion, gender, or socioeconomic status. I work to address systemic barriers that might prevent clients from getting the help they need.
  6. Fidelity: I am trustworthy and loyal to my clients by keeping promises, being honest, and maintaining confidentiality. Building trust is essential for a client to feel safe enough to be vulnerable and open up.

Core Values