Individual Counseling

I am a licensed psychologist and have been treating patients in private practice since 1992. I began my professional career as a professor at a graduate school, training counselors, and then chose to focus my skills on helping patients directly. Experience has shown me that as patients feel comfortable with the therapist they choose, they become more hopeful about therapy and have better outcomes.
 
I view therapy as a partnership. You define the problems we work on, while I use specialized knowledge and skills to help you achieve your desired changes. It is not like visiting a medical doctor: It requires active involvement and effort to change thoughts, feelings, and actions.
 
I graduated with a doctoral degree in counseling psychology from the University of Florida,  a program accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA). I also completed an APA accredited internship at the University of Illinois Counseling Center and a post-doctoral residency at  the University of Florida. I am a member of the American Psychological Association as well as the Florida Psychological Association.

Couples Counseling

I have over 20 years experience counseling couples of every age and length of relationship. I use a variety of approaches in my work with couples including solution-focused counseling and strategies from the Gottman method (see www.gottman.com) and Dr Harvey (see www.marriagebuilders.com).

Self-Hypnosis

Hypnosis, also referred to as hypnotherapy, is a trance-like state in which you have heightened focus and concentration. When you’re under hypnosis, you usually feel calm and relaxed, and are more open to the clinical suggestions you would like,(such as to be more calm, more confident, or more focused).  
 
Hypnosis can be used to help you gain control over undesired behaviors or to help you cope better with anxiety or pain. It’s important to know that although you’re more open to suggestion during hypnosis, you don’t lose control over your behavior.    
 
I have successfully used self-hypnosis to treat many problems, including anxiety, stress, and low confidence.  I also use hypnosis to address many stress related illnesses, such as migraines, digestive disorders, high blood pressure, psoriasis, and many others.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a state that can be cultivated in which one is acutely aware of one’s present experience and responds to this experience in a non-judgmental and non-reactive way. The practice of mindfulness often leads to a sense of balance and psychological well-being.

 
In the past 30 years, the effects of mindfulness meditation have been studied by medical doctors, neuroscientists, and psychologists. In psychology, mindfulness meditation has been found to be effective in treating symptoms associated with a variety of disorders, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, ADD, ADHD, and in decreasing suicidal and self-harm behavior.
 
With time through the regular practice of becoming aware of present experience, people may become less judgmental and better able to experience things as they really are without distorting them with judgments, expectations, and biases. By ceasing to judge our experiences, we are able to become less defensive and less reactive and to tolerate unpleasant experiences.
 
Focus on the present moment, as opposed to the past or future, is also a central quality of mindfulness practice. This attention to the present moment without judgment is the foundation of mindfulness practice. It produces a deep shift in how we think and how we experience the world. I have successfully used mindfulness to treat anxiety disorders, PTSD, ADD, and ADHD.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

  • Anxiety, Fears, Phobias

  • Depression and Loss

  • Marriage and Pre-marital counseling

  • Hypnosis

  • Self-Destructive Behavior

  • Sexual Abuse

  • Stress and Stress Related Illnesses

  • Life Transition

  • Trauma

  • Inner Spirit Therapy

  • Multicultural Counseling

  • PTSD

  • Relationships