You have already begun to make the changes you desire.

You are the creator of the changes you want in your life. A therapist can guide, inspire, inform-- do many things to support you-- but you do the work. That you're looking for a therapist is the beginning of change. No matter how you may feel right now, what you're doing is a hopeful act-- hope that you can accomplish changes you want.

What's my approach to therapy?

It's been said that “to someone with a hammer, everything looks like a nail.”  A therapist who is comfortable with a variety of therapeutic approaches can approach each need in its own way.  That's the advantage of working with someone who is familiar with more than one approach. In my case, I usually start working with people cognitively because it offers the quickest route (for most people) to feeling better and taking some control. For other people, somatic work may be the first thing to do. The nature of someone's goals may determine which approaches are used and when. I do my best to be very transparent about what techniques I'm using and why, and am willing to give you background reading if you want to learn more about specific techniques. Effective therapy is NOT one size fits all.

How many therapists does it take to change a light bulb?

You may already know the answer. My point is that I use humor in my work, as well as wisdom from art, literature, and various faith traditions and philosophies. You already have successful coping mechanisms. One part of therapy is to strengthen them.