I am a licensed psychologist in California, with a doctorate degree in clinical psychology practicing.
I have experience working in private practice and in mental health clinical settings. My specialty is working with individuals in short and long-term psychotherapy. Helping people achieve greater self-awareness, increased self-esteem, and increased ability to make successful life choices are common outcomes for treatment.
Short-term and brief therapies are generally appropriate for individuals who have very specific goals and needs. Typically short-term and brief therapies identify problems, consequences, and provide tools and techniques for resolution. Long-term therapy tends to be more insight oriented and is more of a personal journey by taking time to explore and to understand the origins of unwanted feelings and behaviors.
I use a collaborative approach to establish goals and to promote autonomy, while using a depth-oriented model of therapy to organize my thinking and interventions. This approach helps individuals to utilize their inner resources for change and achieve success in their quest for symptom relief or for self-discovery. The therapeutic process can be one of the most effective tools for personal growth, adaptation, and change. While individuals often seek therapy to manage crisis or pain, the sense of self-discovery in a safe environment can be a rewarding and even a transformational endeavor after the crisis or cause of pain is resolved.
I consider therapy as a way to promote collaboration and build a healthy alliance to aid in the uncovering of unconscious motivations that keep us from being who we truly are and achieving our desired goals.