I’m a Licensed Professional Counselor with nearly 20 years of experience helping people manage stress, anxiety, negativity and depressed mood, problematic patterns in relationship, unexpected life events, losses and transitions. I can help you improve communication, achieve work-life balance, manage troubling moods and anxiety, and to understand yourself better. Sometimes we need help making an important decision, and at other times we just need someone to listen deeply and understand. I’ve worked in community mental health agencies, outpatient counseling centers and inpatient treatment programs, and I love what I do. My life experience spans 60 years, starting on the east coast and making home on the west. I’ve lived in urban and rural communities with exposure to very different cultures. And I spent nearly 15 years in academia, giving me an intimate understanding of university life. My therapeutic approach will be based on your needs. I apply solution-focused therapy for many issues and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for anxiety and depression. How we talk to ourselves and frame our experience directly impacts how we feel and how we approach challenging circumstances. Much of how we think and behave is shaped by significant others and impactful events in our early lives. Bringing mindful awareness to these habitual ways of thinking and behaving is the first step toward a new experience. Please note: I do not treat active addictions, acute psychiatric conditions, active eating disorders or self-harm. My counseling style is casual and conversational, accepting and curious. I will help clarify your values and strengths, ask questions, offer alternatives, and honor your choices. I may offer resources to guide you outside of session. And because I’m committed to empowering you, I will always be transparent by sharing what I’ve learned about mental health. I embrace all forms of diversity, and believe everyone deserves to be treated with dignity. If you are introspective, able to reflect on your experience and work through discomfort, are motivated for change, and willing to apply the work outside of session, we’ll make a great fit. With all of the changes and challenges that confront us now it can sometimes be hard to remain present and cope with it all. Sometimes we just need another set of eyes and ears to help regain our ground or shift perspective. At other times, we just need to know that someone really “gets” us, and supports us through a tough time. If two heads are better than one, there’s no need for you to feel stuck in your own.