How I Work

I believe the better you feel about yourself, the clearer your judgment will be, and the more effectively you’ll be able to understand and resolve your issues. So I start by providing you with a safe and energizing environment, in offices that are very comfortable and beautiful.

As we begin therapy, your presenting issues will be my primary concern. I’ll address those issues and your present life circumstances, going back in time to your younger days only as needed. I’ll encourage you to talk about what’s bothering you. I’ll ask you questions, working diligently to get you unstuck. If you’re depressed or anxious, I’ll begin there, attempting to get to the root of what’s causing those moods and helping to alleviate them.

I’ll listen attentively and empathically to what you have to say. Which means I’ll be able to put myself in your place, to experience how you might feel. Then I’ll reflect back to you what I’ve seen and heard. And I’ll let you know what I think, so you won’t have to guess. I may refer you to books, which many people find helpful. I might suggest keeping a journal or participating in a group. I use humor when it’s appropriate.

I tailor my approach to who you are: your age, the kind of work you do, your life experiences, your gender, your family background, your presenting issues, and so forth. If you want to change, if you want your circumstances to change, then I will help to guide you in a new direction. If you’re anxious, often just talking with a therapist about what it is that is making you so nervous will lessen your anxiety. Exercise helps some people. Meditation helps others. Cognitive therapy (training your mind to think differently in the face of a perceived stressful situation) helps others.

My theoretical orientation is Eclectic (many theoretical perspectives), and the primary theories I use are Family Systems, Psychodynamic, Humanistic/Existential, Cognitive, and Behavioral. As a result of my education, my many years of practice, my non-judgmental attitude, my directness, and my enthusiasm, you’ll have the opportunity to gain valuable insights, and most likely we’ll get to the root of your concerns quickly. At the same time, it often happens that your self-confidence will grow.

My Brentwood Office

In my practice, I’ve seen so many people come to life, get unstuck and inspired, and gain greater awareness of how to work through the ways of thinking and acting that may be holding them back. That may happen for you as well. I think you will find that, as I’ve often been told, the experience of being in a psychotherapy session with me is like being with a very smart friend who wants what’s best for you.