Periods of change are a normal part of our lives. During significant transitions, many people discover issues that they never addressed in the past, or come to questions about meaning and direction. I particularly enjoy working with individuals to develop an understanding of themselves so that they can find a path through challenges in the following::
It might be odd to think of "men" as a specialty in psychotherapy, but "men's issues" only means that I come to this work committed to awareness and mindfulness of how men's experiences throughout life are shaped by societal expectations of them as men. For men, issues like abuse, trauma, divorce and separation, parenting, sex, and work can come with feelings of shame, guilt, embarrassment, and anger, because men learn that they should not struggle. I help my male clients work through the feelings attached to these challenges, expand their understanding of themselves, and find what is right for them.
I have a passion for work with people in recovery from substance use and other forms of addiction, particularly those who feel that recovery life is missing something--be it stimulation, meaning, or purpose beyond sobriety. Various life experiences have given me a respect for the many different pathways to recovery and I honor the client's understanding of what addiction and recovery mean in their life. I partner with these clients to shed shame of the past, develop an understanding of what addiction gave them, and find purpose and meaning for themselves to continue in a different way.
Many of my clients begin therapy because they feel relationships have never felt quite right, they lose individuality in relationships, fight often, or have difficulty feeling close to/attached to romantic partners. In my work with clients, I draw out and notice related feelings and behaviors in our therapeutic relationship so we can begin to find new ways of being and connecting that change client relationships beyond the therapy room.
"Therapy isn't curing somebody of something; it is a means of helping a person explore himself, his life, his consciousness." - Rollo May