I have been in helping roles for the last 33 years. Early in my career I worked in Correctional Institutions with both teens and adult males. Those early years were so very formative for me as a person and really shaped my path moving forward. After 16 years I left the correctional setting and worked in an educational setting for the last 15 years. Quite a change and a whole different set of experiences added to my skill set. Out of my masters program I worked at a wellness center with a wide variety of clients including, transgender, gay and lesbian, couples, and military clients experiencing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). All of these combined experiences have really diversified my ability to be a good counselor. I feel so very fortunate for these past experiences and I look forward to new challenges. I truly feel fortunate when a person shares their story with me and it is very satisfying to help people in this role. I would describe my approach as goal oriented, and client centered. I have an eclectic mix of styles but believe that I need to meet you where you are and we can determine from that point what modality is best for your issues. Remember your take away must work for you beyond counseling! I am based in Carl Rogers humanistic approach and believe that you as the client are the expert on you! I also use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), mindfulness, DBT, and Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT). These modalities are hands-on, practical approaches to problem-solving. CBT treatment usually involves efforts to change thinking patterns and or behaviors. The goals are to change patterns of thinking or behavior that are behind difficult situations, and so change the way they feel. This helps people identify faulty or unhelpful ways of thinking and learn better ways of coping with life’s full variety of stressors. I am also a fan of mindfulness techniques and believe that it brings focus into a person life when they need it most. I have a tremendous amount of experience working with troubled teens and adults and feel at ease with difficult issues and topics. Counseling in a correctional setting taught me that life is precious and people can work toward second chances. I am open to new challenges and really appreciate learning new skills that can be added to a wealth of experience accumulated to date. I look forward to working with you! On a personal note, I have been married 30 years to a wonderful and patient woman! We have two great sons and two dogs named Otto and Milly who are adorable. Being married 30 years requires work on both partners parts and it is not always perfect but with good communication and effort life can be quite enjoyable.