There are several different ways we can work together:

Counseling from a positive psychotherapy perspective. Whether the issue is anxiety, depression, life transition, a troubled relationship, or... you name it - there's no reason to figure it out alone.

Relationship counseling: Let me help you write a love story. Happy endings are possible!

Guided Autobiography: Write that life story - either alone, with your partner, or with a writing group. Both zoom and in-person cohorts taking enrollment.

Positive Psychology coaching: What else does your story need? More positive emotions? More characters in your life? Let me help you build community. Find and use your strengths. Create meaning and purpose. Achieve your goals. Stop living the lines someone else wrote for you. Write the story you really want to live!

This can be a solo journey or a group expedition. Your process can include writing - or not - it's up to you.

Weekend sessions available.

Questions? Email me:

[email protected]

I took the long road to becoming a therapist. Along the way I was a newspaper reporter, an entrepreneur, a theatre company founder, a professional storyteller, a wife, a mom of four, a widow, and now I'm a licensed psychotherapist at The Center, A Place of Hope, in Washington state, where I created the therapeutic writing and positive psychology programs. I also write curriculum, and train new group therapists.

Therapy is not so much about what I can do for you, as what I can be for you. There is no reason to go into the cave of your unthought thoughts and unfelt feelings alone. I will be an empathetic, listening presence, but I am generally not one of those therapists who "just listens" unless that is specifically what you want. I will offer you insights, different ways of seeing things, perhaps challenges, - and I often give homework.

I am trained in the psychodynamic approach, an in-depth form of talk therapy that uses the relationship between therapist and client as a window into your life. I deal primarily with the "small t" traumas that enter every life - if you are dealing with a lot of "Capital T" trauma, I may refer you to someone with specific trauma training.

I also know and use cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, and elements of drama therapy. My favorite therapy modes are narrative therapy and positive psychology, because I am not interested in juat getting you "back to normal." You may want something more, much more, and I can be your coach, your cheerleader, or your accountability partner in reaching for what you want from life. I also believe that loneliness is at the root of most mental illness, and I want to help you develop strategies for building community and good relationships into your life.

Therapy is an adventure, in that there is no predicting what will come up in our sessions and where it will take you. I make no guarantees. Therapy sessions don't always make you feel better. Sometimes they can wreck your day. But if you're ready for change, take my hand. Let's begin.