About My Services

I have been practicing in the field of psychology for more than two decades and obtained my license to practice independently in 2003. Over the years, I have obtained a wide range of experience in the field of mental health. I have worked with the elementary school population, juvenile delinquents, veterans, the elderly and military service members and their families. I have conducted research on the effectiveness of mental health treatment in a community mental health setting. I have also authored countless articles relevant to both military and civilian populations, as well as books on marriage, perimenopause and betrayal. I have lectured to medical and mental health providers at various hospitals and other agencies. I have also supervised doctoral psychology students as part of my private practice.

All of these experiences have cultivated in me a desire to work with a variety of individuals, couples and families from all walks of life and with a wide range of physical and psychological challenges. I find my work to be very rewarding, and I am always honored when someone trusts me enough to be open, honest and brave enough to share his or her life story and allow me to help in the journey to improved psychological functioning and a greater quality of life.

In my practice, I operate from the premise that the mind and body cannot and should not be separated when working to improve the health and well being of an individual. Rather, I see the relationship between mind and body as a reciprocal one. That is, one’s mental health can affect one’s physical health and vice versa. There is now a wealth of research to support this relationship. It’s common sense really. If you are stressed and coping in unhealthy ways, such as decreased sleep and increased alcohol consumption, your immune system can become weak. This may result in greater susceptibility to everything from the cold going around the office to high blood pressure to autoimmune diseases.

Because of this mind-body connection, my assessment and treatment involve a biopsychosocial approach. This methodology involves assessing a person’s physical health history and biological predispositions, as we know that genetics can play a role in the development of physical and psychological conditions. As part of the assessment of psychological functioning and available support networks, I also investigate each person’s spirituality. I am a Christian, and I believe that a connection to something larger than ourselves is crucial to living a healthy and fulfilled life. In addition, my approach to therapy tends to be pretty direct because I don’t want to waste any time getting a patient the relief he or she desires.

My approach to therapy also includes a deep dive into family history, what I call “beginning at the beginning,” because we are the sum total of all of our experiences. I can teach you coping skills and tactics of all kinds to overcome your challenges, but if you don’t understand how you got where you are, why you think and behave the way you do, that’s just putting a bandaid on a bullet hole. You have to go through it to undo it. Bandages won’t suffice when surgery is what’s really required. 

This is exactly why I specialize in treating Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and high-conflict relationship patterns. These challenges aren’t just about “bad days”; they are about deeply ingrained patterns that require a surgical, direct approach to heal the underlying wounds and stabilize the emotional metronome.

If you think that I can help you with your personal challenges, please call my office to schedule a consultation appointment. Your psychological distress affects you and others more than you might think. Life is too short to hold onto pain. You have little to lose and much to gain.