ABOUT
Connecting is easier yet harder than ever
Technology has given us more ways of connecting than ever before. Yet many of us feel more isolated than ever.
How often do we see the cell phone screen being more important than the people around us?
I recently went on a date with my wife and noticed a couple sitting at a table – both were staring at their cell phones rather than interacting with each other.
I am amazed at the power technology has over us. There’s no doubt that we have more opportunities to connect with each other than ever before (like finding out about counseling online), but, unfortunately, it is often used to avoid ourselves and our most personal relationships.
Putting technology in its proper place to engage with the people around us is a challenge of this moment.
Many of us go to great lengths to avoid ourselves and our pain. It’s at the heart of all kinds of addictions and milder forms of distraction. Avoidance only works for so long, as the pain we are trying to ignore seems to gain power until it starts to take over.
There gets to be a feeling that it’s time for things to change. It’s time to stop ignoring the problems. It takes courage to face ourselves and the inner demons that bring us down and get in the way of our relationships.
About Me
Licensed and trained to help you
I continue to be inspired by learning new ways of helping so I can provide you with the most therapeutic experience possible, including:
- Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR) Certified Therapist
- Level I Trained Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapist
- Dynamic Enhanced Experiential Psychotherapy (DEEP) training from Candyce Ossefort-Russell who developed this approach
- Comprehensive Course in Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB) with Dan Siegel, M.D., founder of the IPNB theory and author of Mindsight and many other works
- Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB) training with Bonnie Badenoch, author of The Heart of Trauma and The Brain-Wise Therapist
- Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) Externship
- Narrative Therapy training with therapist & author David Epston, one of the founders of Narrative Therapy
- Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)
- Master of Arts in Professional Counseling, Texas State University, San Marcos
More about me
I have personal experience with counseling, as it has helped me navigate many difficult times in my life. This experience inspired me to help others through counseling.
I grew up in Oregon and moved to Austin in 1991. I enjoy hiking with my wife, as we find being outdoors extremely important for our well-being. My wife teaches art in elementary school. We have a daughter in high school who excels at musical theater and art. I also have a daughter from a previous marriage (her mother and I remain friends) pursuing a Ph.D. in biochemistry. Both of my daughters have probably taught me more than I have taught them!
I am a forever-aspiring jazz saxophonist. For me, playing music is a form of expression unlike any other, both humbling and inspiring.