I have worked in the field of mental health my entire adult life. I earned a
BS in Psychology from Penn State University in 1990. After working in
inpatient and outpatient settings for the next five years (and moving to
Seattle in 1992), I went to graduate school and completed a Masters Degree
in Psychology from Antioch University in 1997. I have been a Washington
State Licensed Mental Health Counselor since 1999. In my practice I see
people who seek relief from depression, anxiety, poor self-image, and trouble
motivating good behavior (I know what to do, I just can't get myself to do it)
The one thing I have learned and feel certain of in working with people over
the last 30 years is this: the real reason, really the only reason, that anyone
ever walks in my door is to find out that there is nothing wrong with them,
and to truly accept this fact. For many of us this is a very tough pill to
swallow.
We have spent a lifetime believing we are basically wrong or bad, and have tried to make up for this bad nature in ways that create suffering. I do not mean to say that people don't have troubles. Of course we do. But much of the time the source of these troubles seems to come from some mistaken belief about who we are, or who we're supposed to be. Relief comes, it seems, when we acknowledge ourselves as we are and let go of the struggle to be "good," or "more," or "better." It seems that only then can we become our fullest selves.
The field of psychology is exploding with research. We are learning something new all the time about what it is to be a person, to have a human brain and nervous system. Lately we have become more attuned to the notion of mind and body, how they are connected, and how each
affects the other. I rely on that growing reservoir of knowledge to refine my understanding of our nature and to then provide the best counseling and therapy I can. My wife Colleen often says to me, "I like how you are always seeking training, and that you don't just rest on your laurels."
On a personal note I have been with my Colleen for the last eighteen years, married the last fifteen. She is my great love. She has taught me more about what it is to be a husband, a man, and a human than I could ever say. We share a home here in Seattle.