My Practice
My orientation as a psychotherapist is eclectic, although it is significantly influenced by Self Psychology. Self Psychology is a clinical approach that assumes that each individual’s self esteem and vitality come from and are maintained by the empathic responsiveness and emotional support of others to their needs. It is based on a respect for the client and on the belief in the client’s capacity to understand and resolve psychological concerns with the support of the therapist. Self Psychology considers the therapeutic relationship critical to the healing process. It is a psychological approach and perspective that does not pass judgment on the behaviors or the views of the client. It does not consider the person coping with psychological concerns as “sick.” I have several links to pages with more information on Self Psychology on my “Links” page.
I counsel individuals, couples, and families and I work with children, with adolescents, and with adults who suffer from depression, anxiety, and loneliness, as well as with individuals who have difficulty forming or sustaining intimate relationships. I conduct therapy in English as well as in Spanish when working with Hispanic/Latino clients for whom Spanish is their primary language. I accept many types of insurance.
The following are examples of the kinds of questions that my clients typically deal with in our therapy sessions, although there are many other types of concerns as well: “Why do I feel lonely so often?” “Why do my relationships end badly a lot of the time?” “Why don’t I feel better about myself?” “Why am I not more assertive in family, in social, and in work situations?” and, “Why do I often get into conflicts with my family?”
My work with couples and with families is influenced by a family therapy approach known as structural family therapy. In structural family therapy, the life history of the family is viewed as a series of attempts at keeping a desirable balance between stability and change. The Intensive Structural Therapy website describes this approach in more detail.
My work with children involves play therapy, a technique for clinical work with children in which the child’s play is a medium for expression and communication between the child and the therapist. You can learn more about play therapy from this reference page.