Background:

I hold Washington State License number 1357, which was granted in 1990. I held Georgia State License number 437 from 1974 until 1990.

I completed a BS degree at Butler University with a double major in Chemistry and Mathematics. I completed my doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology at Purdue University. I am trained in psychological assessment, individual and relationship psychotherapy, and group psychotherapy.

I have taught psychology and done clinical training at the college and university level, as well as in a variety of internship training settings. I have also worked as a clinical psychologist in a variety of clinical settings as well prior to becoming a full time private practice psychologist. I have both general counseling psychology experience and in-depth training and experience in working with adult victims of childhood abuse and adult children of dysfunctional families. I also have in-depth training and experience in working with trauma victims. I also have worked as well as with persons experiencing various problems with their relationships or with themselves. I see only adult clients, and divide my time equally between a general practice (relationship problems, anxiety shyness, phobias, low self-esteem, depression, and vague difficulties) and in depth long term psychotherapy with individuals. I conduct therapy groups, group work being useful for a variety of problems. I offer hypnotherapy for anxiety reduction and stress management, as well as for changing unwanted habits. I have also completed Level II training in EMDR, an effective treatment for trauma and anxiety, and for performance enhancement.

Theoretical Approach:

When providing psychotherapy, I am somewhat eclectic in approach and orientation. utilizing an integration of cognitive-behavioral, transactional analysis, object relations theory, systems theory, EMDR, and Gestalt approaches to therapy and human difficulties. This approach allows us to tailor make a therapy plan to deal with your individual situation. The therapy can be either individual, family, or group.

I am an active therapist who emphasizes the successful completion of my client's treatment agenda. One of our first activities together will be the completion of a therapeutic contract, which will specify in concrete and easily measurable terms the changes which you wish to accomplish, as well as my recommended treatment plan for how we will proceed in order to obtain these changes. You need to understand that immediate results are not possible, that results are not guaranteed, and that progress will be determined, in large part, by the amount of energy you are willing to invest in making the changes. You will most likely be given "homework" to do between scheduled appointments, and failure to do this work on your own will seriously impede the progress which you may expect.

Results:

In 1994 Consumer Reports included a survey about psychotherapy in its' annual questionnaire. They found that 87 - 92% of the recipients of more than 6 months of psychotherapy obtained reduced symptoms, reduced impairment, new approaches to life and to relationships, enhanced self-esteem, increased effectiveness in living, and increased satisfaction with life. They further found that treatment by mental health workers was more effective than treatment by a family physician with medication, and that respondents whose choice of therapist or duration of therapy was limited by their insurance coverage did worse.