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I am a psychologist, licensed in California for 17 years. I specialize in psychotherapy for a wide variety of gifted individuals with significant life experience, serious interests in some life pursuit, and, usually, higher education. To this end I pursued my doctorate in Hawaii. In particular, I tend to focus on individuals over 40 who want to pursue serious psychotherapy to better understand themselves and further their accomplishments.
My approach
I benefitted from interacting with individuals from a very wide range of cultural backgrounds; and training in Jungian psychoanalytic theory as well as traditional CBT, Psychodynamic, Psychoanalytic, and Cognitive/Stoic theory.
My focus
My practice focuses on high-functioning individuals and professionals with significant life experience, over 35, and usually over 40 who understand serious psychotherapy takes significant time investment. Depression, ADHD or another goal-focused coaching, chronic physical illnesses, anxiety, and late-in-life problems are areas I have extensive experience with. Since my practice is part-time, I am not well equipped to assist individuals in crisis or with histories of hospitalization for mental illness. I do not do couples therapy.
My communication style
I am genuinely curious about people, and try my best to understand what is happening in your life in a non-judgemental way-- Both what you want to change and what you want to accomplish. Together we hopefully can optimize how you are dealing with life, usually by seeing more clearly how the components of your world interact, and how to maintain/change it. Therapy should for the _most_ part enjoyable-- for the curious. Humor can be a good tool.
My journey to mental healthcare
People always seemed to be comfortable telling me their problems. I'm glad to be helpful.
My goals for you
Before you set goals, you have to understand why what is happening now is happening. Then disentangle the multiple interacting feedback loops that maintain and/or change behavior. The overall goal is to create positive feedback spirals of behavior where small successes form foundations for further growth. And interrupting negative ones that sabotage your life.
My first session with you
I try to find out as much as you are comfortable with regard to your history, what is working and not working for you right now, and how all the factors interact.
