People who seek counseling understandably want immediate relief or change. So, I often start with a solution-focused therapy approach, which targets what is desired and what works rather than what is not desired and isn’t working. This model helps people reach goals and resolve problems more rapidly because it emphasizes utilizing the strengths and resources already available within them.

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in Oregon. I have over 30 years of experience in the mental health field. I worked in wilderness-based personal growth and therapeutic programs before transitioning to residential and community mental health settings.  I have been in private practice since 2010.

What I learned from my experience in the wilderness has been a rich metaphor for me as a therapist.

I will  hike in to meet you where you are in your “emotional, internal wilderness”. Together we can “map” the terrain and assess what you need so that you can move from feeling lost and helpless, to feeling confident and empowered –able to locate and use your own compass. You will then be able to carry your own backpack, filled with an amazing assortment of resources and skills to guide you in your relationships with yourself and others for the rest of your life.  I will not transport you back to "normal", since it doesn't exist.  I aim to strengthen your being rather than eliminate pathology.  I aim to help you find your way home to your truest and whole self.  I aim to help you shed, or unburden yourself from, assumptions, expectations, and "shoulds" that no longer serve you.