My treatment for depression involves engaging the person in a joint effort to: 1) Understand the nature of the depression (what is biochemical and what is situational), 2) Identify what helps them feel better and expand upon that, 3) Identify what triggers depressive episodes and help them learn and practice strategies to manage such episodes eg. self soothing, thought stopping, creative expression, emotional release, healthy thinking/reframing, 4) Practice healthy living eg. exercise, nutrition, sleep, socializing, being in nature, engaging in creative expression. For some talking back to the depression as a part but not all of themselves is helpful.

Family Therapy provides the opportunity for the members of a family to learn about the roles that each member plays, the effect that members have on each other and how that either supports or undermines the growth, happiness and full potential of its members. By learning to communicate in truthful, compassionate and mutually respectful ways, past hurts can be forgiven, healthy growth and separation from the family can be supported and family members can learn to respect each others differences and abilities instead of needing to judge and sabotage each other. A healthy family can be a source of great comfort and strength to its members when helped to be so.

Anxiety and stress can have a biochemical and/or learned component. Genetically inherited anxiety often requires some type of biochemical intervention. For the learned component I help the client identify the triggers for his/her anxiety, provide strategies for interrupting conditioned anxiety/stress responses and teach the client ways to soothe him/herself through anxious episodes. By learning good self care skills and developing a compassionate/accepting relationship with oneself, clients can become less perfectionistic, reducing their stress substantially. Healthy living (exercise, healthy diet, good rest) also help a great deal.

Young children typically do not come in to sessions eager to verbally share what is bothering them. Most often their parents have identified something troubling and are hoping the therapist will be able to build a trusting relationship in which the child will be able to express what ever conflicts they hold inside and learn new and better coping skills. I find that most of the time by engaging the child in play and imagination, the child will in time work through whatever conflicts exist, using the play medium as the ground for the resolution of conflicts. Once trust is established, I will have the opportunity to make empathic interpretations and offer suggestions for better coping.

It is my belief that couples are drawn to each other in the hope that together they will provide each other with a cocoon of safety and acceptance in which both will be able heal from past wounds and disappointments and in which both will be able to grow in to people they can be proud of. It is with great shock and pain that too often couples find themselves that not only have they not been able to bring out the best in each other but that they have wounded and disappointed each other deeply. In working with couples I help them develop listening skills, forgive each others failures and develop the ability to soothe each other through the anxieties of building deeper trust and intimacy.