Let’s start with the biggest therapy myth about being unhappy: “I guess there’s something wrong with me.” We tell ourselves this in order to make sense out of why we feel stuck. In reality, this is one of the most destructive 7-word sentences out there.
By saying it, you’re giving yourself permission to fail for the rest of your life. You’re basically saying, “I’m the kind of person that can’t figure things out. I’m just stuck.” And once you label yourself that, how can you ever escape or change?
So whenever you hear yourself saying, “I guess there’s something wrong with me,” you’ve already lost. As a counselor, my job is to help you get past this so that you can change in the areas you want to grow in and become the best version of yourself.
I come from a multi-generational family of therapists and psychologists. I have grown up in this environment all my life and “breathed the air” of psychology, so to speak. This experience has taught me that the hardest part of change for anyone is in being willing to get to know yourself and to face the uncomfortable areas where we feel stuck at in life. Psychotherapy is, in essence, a personal transformation from the inside-out.
My passion is in helping people connect with what they have lost in both life and in themselves. I feel very strongly that we can let what happens in our lives make us angry, resentful and afraid, or we can embrace these events as a way to grow stronger, yet softer, and end up being more open to where we need to be in life. This process of personal recovery is amazing to witness and I am always impressed by the motivation of my patients towards change.
Areas of Focus
I have extensive experience working with treatment-resistant depression, worry and anxiety disorders using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). I also have completed Level 2 Training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy and work with couples and marital parters struggling with relationship issues and dysfunctional communication patterns.
- Treatment-Resistant Depression: Feeling overwhelming sadness, or simply not being able to enjoy the things we used to; sometimes this comes across as an intense lack of motivation. Getting past a major depressive episode often requires a structured approach such as Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy.
- Relationship Issues: The one thing a therapist cannot do is help two people become friends. However, better communication tools and learning to argue effectively in a healthy, productive way are skills that can be taught and built upon.
- Generalized Anxiety: Worry that is persistent, repetitive, and uncontrollable. We try to come up with solutions against the uncertainty of the future, but it doesn’t reduce our sense of unease.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are you accepting new patients? Yes. I am currently accepting new adult patients for counseling, ages 18 and up. I provider both in-person appointments at my office in Eugene, as well as online/video therapy for individuals located in both Oregon and Arizona.
Can you bill my insurance? I am in-network and a preferred provider with PacificSource, First Choice Health Network PPO, Samaritan Health Plans, Providence and Kaiser Permanente (“Added Choice”). You can also be seen as a private pay patient, which has the added benefits of increased privacy, confidentiality, and control.
Can I use my HSA/FSA card? Yes. In addition to being able to accept health-savings/flexible spending account (HSA/FSA) cards, I also accept VISA, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover cards, as well as in-state checks and cash payment.
What is the first appointment like? After reviewing your initial paperwork, we’ll spend time talking about what issues you’re facing, what sort of struggles you’ve had to deal with, and what you’re hoping to get out of therapy. This also allows you to get to know me and my style, as it’s important that we both feel that we are a good fit in order for counseling to be helpful.
How long are the sessions? Most therapy sessions generally last about 50 minutes. I generally schedule appointments once every 1-2 weeks, depending on your needs and goals. It’s important to remember that therapy is never a “quick fix”. It requires commitment towards personal growth and change. That being said, most people benefit from having at least 6-10 sessions.
I can only see you on Thursday evenings, I might need to cancel an hour beforehand, and I’ll need to bring my cat… My, that’s a lot of conditions (Yes, I actually got this question once). This generally isn’t a good sign, so we should talk further. My experience over the past 25 years has been that the more conditions we place on ourselves, the less likely it is that therapy will be very helpful or effective.