It can be challenging to take the first step to begin therapy, and finding a psychologist that is the right fit for you is key. People seek therapy for a variety of different reasons--you or your teen may be experiencing a lack of motivation, feeling misunderstood, stuck in the same patterns, weighed down, irritable, anxious, sad, fed up, having difficulty functioning at work/school, and so on. It can be difficult to know what to do when you are in the midst of these feelings.

I am a psychologist who offers another way. What if you could move through unwanted emotions, rather than having them linger, only to re-emerge? You can learn a method of experiencing your emotions from a perspective that allows them to finally release. I will acknowledge and honor the feelings you have and give you the skills to do the same within yourself. I will support you in reaching your fullest potential.

The goal is total compassion for yourself and removal of all judgment, be your own kind friend. I offer this compassion and acceptance to you so you can apply it to yourself.

There is a way to step away from being immersed in your feelings and thoughts and take a more objective observer approach. No longer caught in the endless loop of feelings confirming thoughts, confirming feelings, you can allow them to let go, no longer regarding them as the ultimate truth. This observation of feelings and mind is a key to well-being. Luckily, it can be easier to undo these built-up patterns than it was to construct them.

With this approach, all feelings are treated equally--each emotion acknowledged and its purpose honored. So often we are averse to the so-called "negative" emotions and cling to the pleasurable ones. You will begin to recognize that all feelings are in a state of flux and learn to be present with them while they are here, then free yourself of them. It is our natural inclination to avoid the "negative" emotions, but paradoxically, it is only through delving into the feeling that it can let go. Otherwise, it remains in your physical body, bogging you down. I teach you how to bring awareness to physical sensations, so that you can observe your emotions from a physical standpoint. This physical orientation allows for a degree of detachment from emotion, so that you can be with the feeling long enough for it to release, keeping in mind the wise proverb, "this too shall pass."

I am a psychologist who will be authentic with you, offering guidance and insight. More importantly, I will serve as a mirror, reflecting back to yourself your own insights and deepest truths. As the layers are uncovered, your authentic self becomes revealed. It is a matter of remembering what you already know on some level.