My training and experience has primarily been in the Cognitive-Behavioral realm, as written about by Albert Ellis. This approach is based on the assumption that a person’s thoughts drive his/her behavior. That is, you have to “decide” to do something prior to doing it. You may or may not be consciously aware of making this decision, but nevertheless, you did make it. So, to change your behavior, you will first need to identify and change the underlying thoughts that preceded that behavior.

Numerous clients over the years have expressed interest in exploring questions such as, “What is my purpose in life?” “How should I connect with the people around me?” “Why are some people able to achieve happiness, in spite of terrible hardships?” In order to accompany clients on this journey, I began weaving Existentialism into my work. I am particularly fascinated by the work of R. D. Laing.

Solution-based Therapy means that you and I develop treatment goals that we work toward each session. An example of a treatment goal might be “Make a decision about my marriage.” Each week I will ask you “What would you like to work on today?” Note this is different from “What would you like to talk about?”

Part of my job is to keep us focused, so that you get the fastest results possible. It is common for clients to tell me they made more progress in three sessions with me than in two years with their previous therapist! This is because we work at a steady, comfortable pace toward goals we have set together.

Remember, a psychotherapy session should not be a place to “sit and chat.” It is your opportunity to receive support, clarification, and feedback so that you can change behaviors and make decisions that will improve the quality of your life.

After all, why let life “happen to you” when you can learn to design a future that is satisfying and exciting? You may wish to read two articles I wrote: "Acceptance" and "What Color is your Religion?"

Techniques
Besides listening with respect and compassion, techniques used to assist clients with accessing and clarifying their feelings and thoughts include:

relaxation exercises; visualization; guided imagery; role-playing; and cathartic writing. Homework exercises are assigned to help clients stay focused on their treatment goals between sessions.

Peaceful Sea Counseling
Let me help you navigate to a more peaceful sea.