My Therapeutic Approach
My approach to helping you accomplish your goals will depend somewhat on your situation, circumstances and needs.  These approaches are the primary ones upon which I base my work with clients.
  • Psychodynamics-Sometimes I find it useful to assist my clients in investigating their conscious versus unconscious motivations for the actions and behaviors.  Being more fully aware of our motivations can be very helpful in resolving conflicts and reducing distress.
  • Family Systems-I have found that many issues with which my clients struggle have roots in family interactions and relationships.  Solutions are often found by including various family members in therapy as possible.
  • EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)- I have found that EMDR can be very effective in helping clients to overcome challenges or "blocks" that have been intractable in other therapies.  Integrating the treatment of cognitive, emotional and somatic experiences can be very important in addressing many issues including trauma and anxiety. 
Experience
I have had a variety of clinical experiences that have helped me to become a strong and compassionate therapist including:

  • 18 + years of experience leading group therapy for children and adults
  • 18 + years of experience working with families, couples and individuals on issues such as:  family dysfunction, family conflict, depression, anxiety, unhappy marriage and child misbehavior
  • 15+ years of leading parenting groups to enable parents to learn keys to protecting their children from harm including 2+ years leading group for mothers receiving substance abuse treatment at Austin Recovery Center.
  • 15 + years of experience working children and parents involved with Children's Protective Services for reasons ranging from neglect of children and criminal activity to substance abuse, domestic violence and deaths of children.
  • 15 + years of experience helping families to heal and be reunited after the children were removed by Children's Protective Services.
Training and Education
  • Completed Gottman Method Couples Therapy Level I training
  • EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) Level II certified
  • C.A.R.T.-Certified Anger Resolution Therapist
  • Middleberg Family Systems Training, 2003-2006
  • Middleberg Accelerated Experiential-Dynamic Therapy Training, 2006-2008
  • Completed 40 hour Mediation Skills Course
  • At least 15 hours of continuing education yearly

M.S.S.W   University of Texas, Austin, May 1995
                  Concentration-Children and Families
                  University of Texas Preemptive
                  Fellowship
B.A.            University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia,                     December 1990
                   Major-Sociology, concentration; race                            and ethnic relations
                   Minor-French