Education and Training:
I acquired my Masters of Social Work degree in 2000 and have been providing psychotherapy either full-time or part-time continuously since that point. In 2004 I became licensed as a Clinical Social Worker in the state of Oregon
and after 5 years of intensive postgraduate training, became certified as a Gestalt Therapist by the Gestalt Therapy Training Institute in Los Angeles. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of Oregon, I am authorized to provide a full range of
counseling and psychotherapy as well as assessment and diagnosis and the billing of insurance companies. I have also provided clinical supervision to more than 10 post-graduate clinicians and served as an Assistant Trainer with Gestalt
Associates Training in Seattle.
Style of therapy:
My therapy style is focused primarily on the present. I am not really an advice giver or a skills teacher so much as an expert in helping you to create the conditions for change. Once we create those conditions for
change, light bulbs tend to come on and people tend to recognize they have abilities and strengths that have lain dormant for some time. In addition, I tend to alternate between the roles of comforter and provacateur -- at
times just being quiet and present as you move forward and at other times, perhaps being surprisingly honest or directive toward new ideas. For a more exhaustive explanation of "Gestalt Therapy" via
Wikipedia, click here .
Unique specializations :
Alternative relationship styles such as polyamory, gender and sexual orientation concerns, kink, losing your religion, utilizing physical fitness to overcome depression and anxiety, couples therapy, burnout in the helping professions, utilizing humor in therapeutic healing.
Personally, I live in a (somewhat) intentional community in Oregon City, Oregon where we raise happy and healthy animals and organic produce for sale and delivery to local food banks. I also enjoy family, fitness, comedy and great stories.