I have 38 years experience counseling people with relationship issues; couples with family and marital problems; parents needing help with teens; straight and gay/lesbian couples wanting a healthier relationship. Relationship problems trigger issues like low self esteem,depression, and anxiety. I believe that most unhappiness stems from one or more problem relationships. My ideal client is tired of others trying to control or change them through behaviors like criticism, nagging, threatening, blaming, and complaining. And, my ideal client is one who wants to stop using these same behaviors that are harmful to their relationships.

My role is to help you figure out what you want, what gets in the way, and how to get there. Lack of focus in life often is at the heart of peoples' problems. If you have concerns with depression, anxiety, fear, confusion, relationship, identity, spirituality, career options, personality, sadness, hopelessness, a sense of aimlessness, loss, even anger and irritability--all of these concerns can be helped by learning how to direct yourself.

Starting therapy can be a difficult decision so I help clients to be candid and open and to approach therapy as a cooperative effort of assessment, planning and treatment. Clients benefit from being understood for how they are at the present time and from respect for the pace at which they wish to work. A careful assessment allows the use of the right therapy approach of the many specific strategies that have been developed in recent years.

I believe all of us experience difficulties in our lives, within ourselves and within our relationships. As a therapist, I view my role as a guide in helping people recognize areas in their life they wish to improve. I work with children, families, and adults, helping them to recognize their strengths and past successes and to build on those to tackle life's challenges. I specialize in working with individuals, both children and adults, who experience anxiety and depression as well as with individuals experiencing psychological distress as the result of medical difficulties.

Sometimes life can be hard AND you CAN STILL find contentment and even joy despite life's pain. Whether your suffering comes from old injuries or current life challenges, you CAN experience healing. It takes courage to do the self-exploration needed to clean out the wounds, and this is essential to keeping the wounds from causing more suffering. Our internal pain often impacts our relationships with loved ones, our ability to bring our best to our work or hobbies, or to just live a satisfying life. Therapy is a path to recovery from emotional wounds and to guide you on the journey of self-healing.

Everyone has moments in their lives when they feel stressed, depressed, anxious, or overwhelmed .Sometimes people struggle with difficult relationships. My goal is to help all people get through these trying times. I view therapy as a collaboration between myself and my client where we will work together to identify issues and meet their goals. I view all clients as individuals and therefore alter my style to meet specific needs. I strive to do this in a compassionate, supportive, interactive, problem solving approach.

Entering therapy is not always easy, but it's an important step towards change. I believe therapy should be a process where my clients and I work as a team to identify strengths and learn new skills to increase their ability to cope with stress, anxiety, depression, and behavioral problems. I specialize in treating children and adolescents with mood and behavioral disorders. When working with children, I believe it's important to engage parents in the treatment and empower them be a coach and implement strategies discussed in therapy at home with their children.

Parents: You want the best for your child, but you don't know what to do to help him or her. Your child did not come with an owner's manual. You don't need blame, you need help! I understand that a child's behaviors serve a purpose, and we work together to eliminate the need for the behaviors or to fulfill the need in healthier ways. And if the problem isn't that serious? Well, coaching may be better for your child than therapy--we work on strategies to improve behavior or schoolwork or whatever your concern is.

The choice to change your life's direction can be a challenging one, much like finding the right therapist. If you are looking for extra support through a difficult time or seeking to set out on a path of self-discovery, I can help you achieve your goals. So many of us struggle to experience the type of life we know we deserve; by working together in a relaxing and healing environment, you and I can come to a better understanding of what may be holding you back. Thank you for the opportunity to take part in your journey.

I earned my Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Miami University and my Master's degree in Counseling from Indiana University. I have experience in working with adults, teens, couples, families, and groups. Overall, I enjoy engaging people in psychotherapy by creating a safe, validating, and collaborative environment. I believe in taking the time to explore emotions and thoughts, while also providing people with tools to manage stress or specific symptoms. I enjoy identifying clients' strengths to help elevate them and create confidence in their ability to better manage stress.

Have you had a concussion or a more serious traumatic brain injury? Are you recovering from a stroke or have been diagnosed with a neurological condition such as multiple sclerosis? Are you noticing difficulty with attention or memory? Does it take longer for you to processes information or it is harder to be organized? Is it more difficult for you to function the way that you used to? Are you feeling overwhelmed because of all these changes?

My approach is to understand my client through a complete history of childhood and adult experiences so that we can together explore how the client perceives the world. Sometimes experiences can cause clients to be anxious, defensive or make poor choices. I hope to help clients see how these approaches may have been useful in other times in life but may be less useful now. Sometimes a new approach to thinking is helpful. Other times insight and being understood can promote change.This approach also works with both parties in a couple to help regain trust and form new ways of relating.

In 1987, I helped develop CenterPoint Counseling. I currently serve as their Executive Director and we have a staff of ten therapists. I am trained as a Marriage and Family Therapist and licensed as both a Marriage and Family Therapist and Clinical Social Worker. I also have a Doctorate in Pastoral Care and Counseling and am ordained as a Presbyterian Minister (P.C.U.S.A.) I am on the National Registry of Marriage Friendly Therapist. I work with individuals dealing with anxiety and depression issues. I see couples, partners and spouses and am certified as an Imago Relationship Therapist.

My counseling focus is on families and the moms, dads, husbands and wives who lead those families. If you're in that place as a parent where you feel you've tried everything, nothing has worked, and you have no idea where to turn next, let me help! If you've been trying to make your marriage work but you've just about lost hope, I want to help! Check out my whiteboard video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTeVEXE5lTk&t=3s

Tulip Tree Therapy, LLC primarily focuses on child and family therapy in elementary aged children and their families, adolescents, and teens. I am able to provide support to parents who may have a child who is struggling with behavior issues. I will lead parents through play-based interactions to broaden relationships and create continued growth in a child or teen's emotional response to others. I am able to advocate and support families through the IEP process with their school. I also provide support for teens and college-aged adults with Gestalt techniques as they transition away from home and navigate stressors.

Feeling stuck in your life? Has your relationship lost its spark? Are you frequently fatigued? Loss, anxiety, depression and miss-communication can take away the spark. Make a commitment to restore the magic in your life.

In working with individuals, I am dedicated to identifying each person's needs and goals and developing a specific plan toward achievement of these goals. I emphasize respect, compassion, and professionalism and aim toward helping people to improve their problem solving skills, their effective coping with life situations, and their understanding of themselves and their relationships.

I assist children, adults, couples, and families in addressing the concerns that may be holding them back from the life they want. It is a fact that if our needs are not being met then we don't function well at home, school, work, or socially. I empower clients to meet their needs in healthy ways to live more fulfilling lives.

Are you hurting, feeling tired, lost or stuck, or perhaps struggling with a personal issue or in your relationship? With compassion, hope and inspiration, I want to help guide you in overcoming past and current issues to make your future happier and healthier. Therapy is a journey that evolves with us working together toward common goals and exploring issues to promote your growth and healing. Together, we will develop useful techniques and insightful feedback for changing what can be changed, and learning to cope with what can't.