About My Practice

Vision (what I do)

I help highly motivated couples who are willing to invest whatever time and effort are required to save their relationship connect to each other again, and create peace, passion, and happiness together.

Mission (how I do it)

I provide counseling, workshops, and in-session and online teaching, encouragement, and inspiration. I use technology to expand my  reach beyond my clinical availability through blogging, social media, and podcasting, to help as many as possible.

Values (the things that drive how I do what I do)

Authenticity — Counselors are real human beings. We struggle in our own lives in various ways. We sometimes need to seek therapy for ourselves. The counseling experience is, first of all, a human encounter so, while honoring the important boundaries that make counseling work, I am real with my clients.

Growth — Difficulties, problems, and challenges–while often painful–offer constant opportunities for growth. When we see life’s problems as growth opportunities, we can respond to them in a more productive way. Growing better relationships nearly always requires that we become better people, not necessarily morally, but that we learn new ways of speaking, listening, and responding to each other.

Humor — This is essential in my work. We often deal with dark and difficult topics, and humor is important for the perspective and relief it can bring. It is also just part of being an authentic human being.

Inspiration — Couples are usually deeply hurting or frustrated when they come to see me, and I can usually inspire them to believe change is possible. This is hope couples really need as they are doing the work.

Learning — In addition to being a counselor, I have also been a teacher most of my life. I tend to do a lot of teaching in my sessions because I often find people want to move forward and just don’t know how. Clients who come to see me ready to learn and grow will likely benefit greatly from our time together. I will certainly learn from you as well.

Spirituality — I spent 22 years in the ministry, and faith and spirituality are still essential parts of my life. While I don’t need clients to believe what I believe, I am open to clients who also value this and want these perspectives included in their therapy.

Wisdom — I’ve always been told I’m a “wise” person. To be knowledgeable is to have information, but to be wise is to know what to do with that information, how to apply it. I value wisdom and my clients will benefit from this as they ask the ever-present question, “But what do I do with what you are telling me?” In this process, we will all become wiser.