Personal Information

What you see is what you get with me.

I don't use a lot of jargon and, to put it mildly, I'm not what most people think of when they think of a therapist. I care ~ deeply. I express what's on my mind for you in a way that might be a bit of a push but it's coming from a place of understanding and respect. 

Qualifications

I'm a licensed clinical social worker, credentialed alcohol and substance abuse counselor and wellness coach. (LCSW, CASAC, HWC) I have decades of experience in helping clients get to and sustain their goals, gain insight into how the systems around them work and their role in those systems including their relationships, families and employment. 

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out ~ I want you to have a good experience with the process of change. 

Specialties & Issues

While I specialize in substance abuse work ~ wait! don't leave if you that's not you! ~ what I really do is work with you when you feel that decisions, behaviors and choices keep getting you jammed up. Leaving a mess in your life, not allowing you to get where you want to go, or having the effect of making the same choices (even when you are trying to make new choices)....like when you keep finding yourself dating the 'same' person even though you tried to pick differently this time on the dating scene or having the same attitude/communication/impulsive behaviors that have ended poorly in the past.

I help you understand where you are with your changes, and what the road ahead might look like. 

So, to answer the question that got this section started; I work with people who are seeking to make changes and navigate through stages of life that are just plain awful to do on your own, like grief and loss. First responders are more than welcome with the 'salty' vocabulary and closet of gear with smells not normally discussed in polite company...

Approach

I work with clients who are making massive changes in their lives. Those who want the inside to feel as good as the outside sometimes looks to others. 

My approach is easy; clear, direct, insightful and not a whole lot of mumbo-jumbo. Experience, going the extra mile, and being there with you are what I bring to the table.

I’m here to help you find out all the ways you slow yourself down, get stuck in corners and otherwise lost so you can stop the sh*t show and live the life you want. 

I break down the jargon and give you the skinny in ways that work for you.

You’ll learn “unconditional positive regard” really means those who matter stick around through the mess.

You will get the very real me, not some gussied-up version to be all tucked in and proper ~ I’m authentic to the core.

Humor – humor is good, especially when you’re tackling huge change!

And we’ll break down what “self care” means in real life, like when you’ve got a schedule that looks like a block of booked up time and you aren’t sure how old that leftover container is in the back of the fridge is and whether or not it’s safe to eat. 

Insurance

I am in the process of moving toward self pay; at this time I do take Aetna.