"When the eye of the heart is open, every atom reveals a thousand secrets"

When the 'eye of our heart' is open to another, our spouse, our family members, our Higher Power, we become more than we were before the opening. When we are feeling closed off, alienated, from these relationships, we are at risk. Our biggest risk for suffering seems not to be the trials of our life, but whether or not we face them alone. Undoing aloneness is the first task of talk therapy.

As a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist since 1989, and with advanced training in the most research validated approach to working with couples, Emotionally Focused Therapy, helping relationships, and individuals struggling with relationships, is my specialty.

In addition to my advanced training in working with couples, I also have advanced training in modalities that are more typically used in individual therapy. I have trained with Diana Fosha, the developer of the AEDP model of psychotherapy (Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy), and Dr. David Burns, author of the all time best selling self help book in psychology, Feeling Good.

My personal advanced training in relationship development has been enriched by a marriage of 30+ years, and having two now-adult sons, and an adult step-son.

In an initial session, we explore whether we're a good fit for working together, but sometimes a brief phone call can help to determine that as well. I schedule all of my appointments myself, so feel free to have some questions for me if you want to explore working together.

COMMON QUESTIONS
Does couples counseling really work? What good is talking with a stranger about personal issues? What does research say about this?
Are some approaches more effective than others?
Is our relationship worth saving, or is it too late?
Can I work on my relationship when my partner doesn't want to come to therapy?
Our relationship is pretty good, is there any value to couples sessions?
Are old patterns changeable or do you have to settle for the status quo?
Can you recover old feeling once they seem gone, or can they be rekindled?
Can a relationship survive an emotional or sexual affair?
Can I get help for problems that aren't about a relationship?

PRACTICAL MATTERS
Insurance vs. Private Pay: I have a variety of contracts with insurance providers for 'in-network' coverage. Many couples opt for private pay rates. We can discuss the pros and cons of these options.

Who I see: I see couples and families, including adults with parents or siblings. I also see adults and adolescents for individual therapy.