“Let everything happen to you. Beauty and terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final.”
The problems in your life have led you to consider getting some help. However, the thought of talking about your problems with someone else may seem overwhelming. You wonder, “How will a counselor be able to help me? How can I be sure which counselor will be a good fit for me?” Let me tell you a little about myself and my counseling practice to help you answer these questions.
One common complaint about counselors is that they “just listen”. If you are looking for just a good listener, I am probably not the best counselor for you. I am empathetic and compassionate, but I also ask thought provoking questions designed to help you think about your problems differently. I give direct feedback about what I believe is keeping you feeling stuck, and I provide tools and strategies to help you achieve your goals. New clients of mine often say how refreshing it is to have a counselor give them practical suggestions for making positive changes.
I have a unique background with 11 years of experience in law enforcement as a police officer in Orange County. My background gives me a real-world understanding of the challenging issues people face.
My clients are often looking for guidance about their marriage and parenting. I have been married for 25 years. The strength of our marriage has come from the intentional effort we have both put into it over the years. In raising our two daughters (ages 19 and 22), I have come to understand the joys and struggles of being a parent.
I believe that many of the problems in our lives stem from reacting to our emotions in unhelpful ways. I help people develop the skills to manage their emotions in helpful ways, so they can live intentional, instead of reactive, lives. I co-authored a book (Affect Regulation Training: A Practitioner's Manual) for clinicians that describes a research-based program for teaching effective tools to regulate emotions. The strategies described in the book are incorporated into my sessions with clients.
While I work with a variety of different issues in my counseling practice, I specialize in helping people overcome addictions to drugs and alcohol as well as behavioral addictions, including sexual addiction. I use a harm reduction philosophy, which basically means that I help clients achieve whatever goals they have regarding their addiction, whether that be a moderation or an abstinence goal. Click here to read more about my approach to addiction treatment.
I also specialize in helping married couples when one or both spouses are considering a separation or divorce. Using a specific research-based format called Discernment Counseling, I help couples gain greater clarity and confidence in their decision making about the future of their marriage, based on a deeper understanding of what’s happened in their marriage and each person’s contribution to the problems. Click here to read more about Discernment Counseling.
I am passionate about serving my clients and my community. In this spirit of service, I’ve been trained as a volunteer facilitator of SMART Recovery® meetings, which help people recover from addictions to behaviors or substances. I am also a regular volunteer in the children’s program at my church.
A few years ago, I began experiencing debilitating migraines. Unlike the head pain experienced by most migraine sufferers, my symptoms (also called aura) mimic many symptoms of stroke. The long journey to get an accurate diagnosis and treatment has helped me better appreciate the health challenges many people face.
I am always honored when a client allows me to walk alongside them on their unique path to achieve their goals. Because of this, I take my job very seriously. I constantly strive to provide the best care I can, which involves continually educating myself on the best research-based therapeutic approaches and by regularly consulting with other therapists.
I look forward to the opportunity to hear how I can be helpful to you! Click here to contact me.
License
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist LMFT48949
State of California Board of Behavioral Sciences
Education
Chapman University
Master of Arts in Psychology
Graduated with Honors
Azusa Pacific University
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
Magna Cum Laude
I have received advanced training in the following:
Emotion Regulation
Mindfulness Meditation
Domestic Violence
Exposure Response Prevention (E.R.P.) treatment for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Professional Memberships
