My Work as a Therapist

I tend to be relaxed and calm, and am good at helping others to find a sense of calmness in their own lives. I understand that clients are people, not sets of symptoms. Because of this I will work hard to minimize the anxiety that you may have about coming to therapy. I won't ask you to tell me your whole life story the first time that we meet. Instead my aim is to build a collaborative, supportive relationship that will support you along your journey.

I have a very gentle and laid back personality that tends to put people at ease. At the same time, I think of this work as sacred, and treat each person I meet with respect, dignity and honesty. I often find myself in awe that I get to walk with people so closely as they journey through life.

I understand people from a wholistic perspective, meaning that a person's thoughts, physical health, emotions, relationships, history, self care activities, and "spirit" all combine to make a whole person. Because of this, I often explore many of these areas in my work with people.

In addition to working with those who have anxiety, depression, bereavement, and relationship problems, I enjoy helping people learn to thrive after experiencing abuse or other traumatic events, or are feeling the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

I also proudly serve the LGBTQ community and have experience working with gender related issues. In addition, I have extensive experience working with people who have worries about alcohol or other related drugs in their lives, or the lives of loved ones.

My work is informed by many different approaches because I believe that each of us is a unique individual. I do believe strongly in the mind/body connection, and therefore have found some techniques that go beyond traditional talk therapy. These include EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy. These can be woven into regular talk therapy sessions to help you reduce physical tension and anxiety, and gain integration between the logical, emotional, and physical aspects of your existence.

Maslow

Maslow is a therapy dog who joins me in sessions on most days. He specializes in helping people stay grounded, changing the subject if things are getting too heavy, and helping people to bravely talk about things that scare them. As an added bonus, he is hypoallergenic and does not shed much. If you don't want a dog to join us during your session, be sure to let me know so that we can meet on a day when he is not at the office.

Education and Experience

PhD in Counseling Psychology, Southern Illinois University, 2001
MA in Psychology, Southern Illinois University, 1998
BA in Human Development, UW-Green Bay, 1996
Licensed Psychologist, WI Lic #2388
EMDR Level II Certified, 2003
National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology, Registrant #51681
Private Practice from 2002 to present
Trauma Specialist for Dane County District Attorney's Office from 2002 to present
Staff Psychologist, UW-Madison 2000-2005