Individual psychotherapy (45-60 minutes) is the primary treatment service I provide to clients in my practice.  Utilizing innovative and cutting edge treatment methods, including Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), psycho-dynamic integrative techniques and EMDR (Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) clients are able to address as well as accelerate the processing of difficult and traumatic memories. Once the difficult memories and the emotional responses to them are understood and properly processed, clients can move forward to develop more functional and healthy responses to life’s present challenges.

Additionally, in my individual treatment approach I like to emphasize and  introduce my clients to the concepts and philosophy of building life-long health and wellness patterns.  This emphasis includes a therapeutic focus on building  “hardiness” and “resiliency” into our personalities and lifestyle.  Developing and strengthening our “resiliency”  provides us with the ability to ‘flex’, ‘bend’, and ‘bounce-back’ quickly and effectively when stressful situations and difficulties come our way.

In today’s stressful, hectic world — families are really feeling the impact as parents carry an increasing burden trying to meet the emotional, physical, material and social needs of their family members in an unstable ‘down’ economy.  More often than not, parents are working longer hours and coming home with less time to share with their children and their spouse. These conditions create the “perfect storm” for a family crisis or the unraveling of what was once good communication and connection. In my practice I provide an active and empathic approach to addressing how families can heal from the effects of dysfunctional communication and the impact of a member suffering with depression, anxiety, traumatic loss or injury and/or drug abuse / chemical dependency.

Nothing is more painful and frustrating than blocked and dysfunctional communication with a loved one or spouse.  Sadly, 67% of all first time marriages end in divorce. Providing couples with an opportunity to learn the skills necessary to “hear” one another and effectively communicate is another service that is provided within my practice.  Utilizing evidenced-based couple’s therapy techniques including Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) as well as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT),  I find it rewarding helping couples to re-discover the passion and love they once had for one another — and how to keep it going.

Couples therapy is not easy and requires a strong commitment as it often involves working through deep hurts and long-standing dysfunctional interpersonal behavior patterns.  Couples should be prepared and willing to  participate in  ‘in-session’ and ‘out-of-session’  awareness exercises and skill-building role-plays.  Homework and couple psycho-educational assignments are often utilized to reinforce and address newly learned communication patterns.

Critical Incident Stress Management & Intervention for First Responders

Firefighting / EMS work is an inherently dangerous and stressful profession.  In one segment first responders may be exposed to more trauma, loss, death and destruction than the ordinary citizen may see in a lifetime.

Emergency responders are well trained and prepared to deal with these daily exposures and crises.  In fact, given your resilient nature, developing symptoms that require professional help is the exception, not the rule. read more