If you are having difficulty getting sober and staying sober, or you find your addiction is causing your life to become unmanageable, it's time to get help. I can provide you with a complete assessment ,treatment recommendations and referrals for detox, sober living or residential treatment centers. I have extensive experience counseling dual diagnosis / co-occurring disorders, such as anxiety and depression, secondary to the addiction. I support the benefits of the abstinence model in most cases. I am familiar with harm reduction techniques as an option for some patients.

My approach combines cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness, humanistic, solution-focused therapy and life coaching. Therapy helps us to repair the past, while coaching helps us to build a better future. This means I help resolve psychological programs that are not working in the unconscious and we work on new ways of being. I balance powerful interventions with a gentle and supportive style. I believe in treating everyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion. I have training in a variety of modalities so that I can customize my intervention to meet your needs.

I specialize in life transitions, future-focused with a feasible vision working through the barriers that hold you up. Rick Warren said, “the number one barrier to your future is your past” and I couldn’t agree more. It is my passion to help you break the box you feel trapped in and limits we’ve allowed others to speak into our lives; releasing you so that you’re free to be who you were designed to be.

Is this ever going to end? Do I have to get used to this? These are the questions I hear daily. Many of my clients have expressed concern about going out to offices and meeting with others. My goal as a therapist is to assist you in your own discovery of how to navigate in life while dealing with pain, depression, anxiety, or addictions. I listen, I hear, your not alone. TeleMedicine is video conferencing, it is secure and easy to do. You just need a computer, phone or I pad.

Is your relationship suffering due to addiction, infidelity or lack of communication? I work with individuals and couples who have tried to 'make things work' but find that the trust, the pain, and the sadness is too overwhelming to do it on their own. My role is helping you navigate a way out of the emotional maze that can feel lonely and hopeless. Feeling stuck leads to depression and anxiety that affects the quality of your life and your active participation in your happiness. This is the point when you socialize less, watch Netflix more, and find life and relationships mundane.

Change is an inevitable part of life. The lack of change or too much change can overwhelm us and derail our growth. No one escapes hardship and stress. During these times we need the trust, respect, and empathy of an impartial professional especially when family and friends are just too close to the matter. With more than 20 years of clinical practice, I've found that the healthier person reaches out for help beyond their immediate sphere. I see myself as a guide facilitating my patients' healthy risk taking and helping them manifest their visions for a better future.

Where can I go for help? Who can I talk to? How do I get through this? Won't somebody help me? Yes! I will. There are times in life when we go through something we just don't know how to get through. There are times when we reach a breaking point and acknowledge that doing it alone is just not an option anymore. Making the choice to reach out at that point is a breakthrough that can open the door to the relief you are seeking.

Are you having difficulty overcoming a problem, mood or behavior? If an issue is not relatively easy to change, then chances are, there is a block of some sort preventing the progression and flow of positive thoughts, feelings and behaviors. It is frustrating, discouraging and painful as an intelligent and competent person to work on a goal and not get the results you hope for.

As a therapist and author in Orange County California I have counseled hundreds of clients on the daily struggles that prevent them from living their best life. Whether it is a relationship issue, work related stress and anxiety, career issue or dealing with a child who has addiction or mental health issues I have seen many have successful outcomes through therapy. I like to work with my clients to find what small changes we can make together that will become larger and lasting changes as the client progresses in therapy. It is not a one size fits all therapy and I customize the treatment plan to address my clients needs and goals.

For the past 40 years, I worked in Australia and America as a therapist and educator. I was Director of the Family Therapy Program in Sydney and later worked with the Family Institute at Northwestern University. I help individuals overcome anxiety and depression & help couples improve communication, resolve conflict, and increase love & intimacy. Since I am also a writer, I frame individuals as the main characters in a story, called to face adversity, transform their lives, and achieve personal happiness. I am the author of "The Roadmap Home: Your GPS to Inner Peace" & co-author of "Fighting for Love: Turn Conflict into Intimacy."

I love the work I do as a psychotherapist. I see myself as a healer and guide. With you as my client, we navigate the challenges and perhaps, traumas of your past. Being guided through the changes you want to make, I offer empathy and compassion, knowing that self-exploration that leads to desired change can be a challenge, and sometimes the challenge becomes too great to want to continue. It is a given that I listen with in the moment “presence”, and I believe that this “presence” is the key to healing and growth. I welcome the opportunity to work with you as your guide and co-healer on your path of growth, healing and change.

...Not just another therapist, but a Clinical Psychologist that is also a Certified Addiction Specialist. 'Substance abuse treatment..." the subject of my doctoral dissertation, is the mantra of my personal journey and commitment to help others find the path to a better life. I integrate state of the art brain science with psychotherapy, refining and building upon that which I have personally mastered. I am committed to compassionate client care, and to meet you exactly where you are... whenever you are ready, because, the truth of the matter is, that most people cannot recover on their own.

Many people experience challenges in their sexual and relationship life and might be feeling alone or ashamed. Maybe you are struggling with intercourse, desire, arousal, pleasure, performance anxiety, or shame around sex. Or maybe you've been disconnected from your partner, feel stuck in your conflict patterns, or are going through transitions or difficulties in your relationship. Everyone deserves a healthy and fulfilling intimate life. No matter your age or relationship stage, you can create a more meaningful and positive connection with yourself and your partner.

I am committed and interested in helping my clients strengthen their connections to others while simultaneously developing the tools to create personal feelings of confidence, strength, and fulfullment within themselves. Although I cater to each client specifically, my general plan of action consists of the immediate alleviation of symptoms, in concert with an in-depth look at related patterns established throughout the client's lifetime. In other words, first we can tend to the flower's blossom, but then let us tend to its roots.

Does trauma have you stuck? Do you wish you could just move on? Maybe something feels off? You feel stuck in old patterns? Still struggling with past hurt? Feeling burnt-out? Like you are sabotaging your relationships, goals, and dreams? Are issues from past abuse causing turmoil in your current relationships? Have issues with sex been causing trouble in your relationships or in how you feel about yourself? Do you feel like no one understands? But what if a peaceful, connected, powerful, and pleasurable life is waiting just around the corner? What if you were able to harness your own innate power to fully live your best life?

My client's goals are to better understand his/her behaviors, thoughts, and emotions so that he/she is empowered to action, rather than reaction, in the face of life's challenges. He/she is eager to know him or herself better, to embrace the journey of self-awareness, thus leading to more freedom and grace, versus control, in interpersonal relationships. Most of all, my client wants to be truer to his or her genuine self: a better version of his/her genuine self, not a changed version. This will involve more acceptance and love of self and others.

It has been my privilege to specialize in working with children and families for over 28 years to address Anxiety, grief, OCD, ADHD, Depression, emotional regualtion, giftedness, trauma, adoption, and special needs. Inclusive of the child's immediate family, and any other supportive or integral partners, such as their teacher or doctor, when requested by the parent. I was trained as a Family System's Therapist and have extensive post graduate training in Play Therapy (Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor), EMDR, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and grief. I specialize in working with children ages 11 years and younger.

Welcome and thank you for the courage to explore your journey of finding the help that feels right for you. The process of choosing a therapist can be a daunting and overwhelming task. My hope is to provide you with the opportunity to make this choice on your own by having a free consultation to chat. My approach to therapy is one of equality, we embark on the journey together, as a team. I function primarily from a cognitive-behavioral approach, however, implement other modalities to best align with each clients individual needs.

I truly have a passion for connecting with people and believe in providing a safe place for healing and growth. Therapy is a process and relies heavily on the connection a person has with the therapist. I look at that process as a journey. I work from the viewpoint in which I am a partner along for the journey of change, rather than an authoritarian expert. I strive to work as an active team member with my client to find the appropriate method of healing that suits the individual.

Sometimes life doesn’t make sense, sometimes we want to be heard, sometimes we want to find ourselves, and sometimes we are just ready to grow or change. This can can leave us feeling confused, alone, hurting, stuck, broken, lost or unfulfilled. It can be hard to find your way out of these feelings. You don't have to do it alone, I can help you find your way.