We human beings have a number of different sources of information and guidance for living complete, satisfying and productive lives. The source we rely one most is the thinking mind. However, we also have other important “minds”, including the bodymind, the intuitive mind and the transcendental mind. By learning to access and “decode” the message from all of these minds, we make better decisions, sustain better relationships and enjoy greater well-being and happiness.
Although our family roots and past experiences play important roles in forming our present-day attitudes and identities, therapy which focuses mainly on the past misses the freshness and opportunity which lies in this present moment. In fact, the wounds of the past are best healed in the present. Our basic wholeness and sanity are always available to us, no matter what has happened in the past. Over the forty-plus years, I’ve been in practice, it is human resilience that has impressed me most.
Therapeutic methods and techniques are certainly important, and I have many tools in my kit, including cognitive-behavioral methods, Gestalt awareness, Integrative Body Psychotherapy, breathwork, EMDR, yoga therapy, hypnosis, Nuero-linguistic Programming, cinematherapy and yoga nidra, among others. I pride myself on my skill set, and the flexibility with which I can employ these skills. Nevertheless, it is the therapeutic relationship which is most important. Our wounds happen in relationship, and it is in relationship that they can be healed. I provide a space of open acceptance, unconditional regard and honest dialogue, in which the best in you can flourish. I am relentlessly committed to your true self, which is inherently willful, active, compassionate and wise.
Although I recognize the severe limitations of the “mental illness” model, I do have a firm theoretical grounding in theories of human development and its disorders. When it’s useful, I am ready to use those models to provide formal diagnosis and treatment planning, as well as to coordinate with medical doctors, alternative medicine providers and insurance companies. I pride myself on having a strong network of excellent health providers to whom I can refer. With your permission, I consult with other providers to provide integrated care. Although I don’t belong to managed health care plans, insurance reimbursements are often available through PPOs, fee-for-service plans and prepaid or “cafeteria” health plans.
I know that suffering and “stuckness” are very hard to endure. I am very willing to walk patiently and compasionately with you through “the valley of the shadow of death”. I will honestly reveal my own thoughts and opinions when that seems helpful. Though I very often don’t have the answers that would save you from pain, I can help you stay with the questions until your own inherent wisdom manifests itself. Most of all, I have a well-founded faith in the self-righting and self-healing properties of the human organism. I sit in awe of the healing power, and the creative wisdom of the answers that come from within each person. I believe in the rightness of life, just as it is.
