Education:

• Master of Social Work, Clinical Emphasis, Loyola University of Chicago School of Social Work, 1983
• Bachelor of Science in Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1981
• Member of the Academy of Certified Social Workers
• Member of the National Association of Social Workers

Special Interests:

• Stress and Anger Management
• Grief and Loss
• Families with Special Needs
• Marital Relationship Enhancement and Couples Therapy
• Infertility and Adoption Issues
• Mood and Anxiety Disorders
• Gay and Lesbian Populations
  

Professional Philosophy:
“I adhere to a solution-oriented approach to treatment while guiding clients to understand relevant family of origin issues. I believe the client is the expert in his or her own life and therapy empowers an individual to make steps toward positive change.”

Personal Statement:
“I consider it an honor to be given the opportunity to work with my clients. I am continuously impressed by the strength and determination I have seen people demonstrate when faced with life’s challenges.”

Professional Philosophy:
“My affiliation with Michigan State University allows me to remain on the cutting edge of evidence-based treatments. Still, I recognize the importance of being personable and listening to my clients rather than simply pursuing therapy in a cookbook-like fashion. I believe that everyone’s story is unique and that they deserve to be heard and listened to.”

Personal Statement:
“I am proudest of people who enter therapy for the first time or after a long absence. Many people have told me that they have had negative experiences in the past and have waited a long time to return. I know that men, especially, have difficulty coming to therapy due to negative perceptions that still exist. The greatest compliment I ever received was, “I expected you to be a quack, but you talk like a regular person!” I avoid ‘psycho-babble’ and work best with people who are hungry for change in their lives.”

Education:
Master’s of Arts degree in Community Counseling with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy, Western Michigan University, 2008
B.S., Family and Community Services, Michigan State University, 2004
Clinical member of AAMFT

Special Interests:

• Premarital and Marital Counseling; Certified in the PREPARE/ENRICH Program
• Disordered eating
• Struggles with body image
• Depression
• Couple Therapy: communication styles, intimacy and sexuality, conflict resolution, and many other common stressors in couples

Professional Philosophy:
“I believe my role as a therapist is not focused on giving advice and solving client problems, but rather on working with clients to discover their own solutions to their problems and supporting clients through the process of growth and change as they strive to become the best version of themselves.”

Personal Statement:
“I am grateful to my clients for inviting me into their lives.  I pride myself in providing a safe, caring, non-judgmental environment and I feel privileged when clients use that environment to share their thoughts, emotions, and experiences with me.”

Professional Philosophy:
“I strive to create a comfortable environment to meet clients where they are. I believe in working collaboratively to identify stressors and generate change by guiding and working alongside clients to create new thoughts and behaviors that allows clients to experience happier, healthier and more satisfying lives.”

Personal Statement:
“I value the opportunity to create and witness positive change with my clients. I strive to develop respectful and caring relationships with each client to foster a comfortable environment in which clients may experience a positive therapeutic process.”

Professional Philosophy:
“I strive to collaborate with individuals, couples and families and build on client’s strengths to reach their therapeutic goals. I believe that a family-based approach is a powerful model for healing, growth and change.”

Personal Statement:
“I feel honored to be a part of the healing process for families, couples and individuals. I am consistently amazed at the resilience that my clients show and at the power of emotional connections in family and couple relationships.”

Professional Philosophy:
“It is important for me to build a strong relationship with my clients and meet them where they are at. I draw from a variety of theories and work collaboratively with my clients to find the best fit. My goal is to create a safe and respectful environment that supports vulnerability and promotes change. You are the expert of your life, and I am here to listen, and offer another perspective.”

Personal Statement:
“I truly love what I do. I am grateful to the individuals, couples, and families that I have been honored to work with in the past; they have invited me into their lives, during some very vulnerable times, and I have witnessed incredible changes and growth. I am excited for every new client or family I am able to work with. I know that this is the work I was meant to do, and I hope to be doing it for many years to come.”

Philosophy: 
“It’s a privilege to be a therapist and to be able to be with people through the tough times that life often brings.  My goal is always to practice with the perspective of strength, kindness, cultural competence, equality and sensitivity.  I believe that therapy is about developing connection with self, family and community; making sense of the meanings that we hold for ourselves and our relationships, through the joys and sorrows that life has to offer us.  Therapy is around to help us make life more manageable, meaningful and joyful.”    

Personal Statement: 
“I’m just going to say what I think here … Life is about running the hills, swimming through the sparkle in July, M&Ms, diet coke and pretzels, reading spooky stories with your kids, getting out of your comfort zone, meeting people where they are at, and at the end of the day knowing that you contributed to the community in ways that mattered.”