Philosophy & Approach
real
- a. Being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verifiable existence; b. True and actual; not imaginary, alleged, or ideal; c. Of or founded on practical matters and concerns
- Genuine and authentic; not artificial or spurious
- Being no less than what is stated; worthy of the name
- Free of pretense, falsehood, or affectation
- Not to be taken lightly; serious
From The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. 2000. Houghton Mifflin Company.
Whether you're trying to learn something new, working on making a transition, or building your support network, you have a lot of choice about how and with whom you work on achieving your goals. There are therapists and other service providers to appeal to everyone's personal style. Taking the time to find a professional who is not only credentialed, but who has an approach or philosophy that resonates with you is an important first step.
My approach to everything that I do is to be as real as I can be. Whether I'm working with an individual in a therapy session, presenting to a large audience or collaborating on a community project, I've never been someone who is good at faking it. What you see is what you get. I hold myself to the same standards to which I hold my clients—authenticity and honesty are essential. I provide my clients with an accurate reflection of what I see and a professional assessment of how they might do things differently. I will challenge you to think critically about the choices you make and the impact those choices are having on your life.
I rely heavily on resources that foster creativity and humor. I don't rely on gimmicks or hidden agendas—if I've got information or tools that will help you, I will share them with you and encourage you to make them your own.
As a therapist, I work hard to be flexible and responsive to the needs of my clients. There may be times when you feel you need more encouragement and support and less constructive feedback. Other times you may find that confronting an issue head-on feels more productive. I will encourage both of us to be patient with the process and to pay close attention to progress so that we can make adjustments throughout our work together.
To set up an initial consultation to see if we may be able to work effectively together, please e-mail me.