With a background in music and the visual arts, I have over 30 years experience in working with individuals and couples in an interactive, collaborative and empathic style. I work from an intersubjective orientation, psychodynamic but behavioral when necessary. Areas of expertise include issues of life transitions, the arts, aging, substance abuse and recovery.
I believe that it is important to connect with a client to begin with. Learning something about early experience––any trauma that might have occurred, significant life events that might contribute to current difficulties––can help us work together to relieve conflicts and problems that might bring a client into therapy.
In a first session I would ask the client what brings them into therapy and what they are hoping to get out of it and if they have had any experience in therapy before. I would answer questions the client may have about me and what they might expect from our work together. I would offer assurance that the therapy can be helpful, and together we can get to the root of the causes of their distress.
