I moved to the Bay Area over 30 years ago to attend what was then Hastings College of the Law, and I remained here, helping to raise two boys, now in their 20’s, who (despite the parenting challenges that many parents face) are now among the true joys of my life. When the law didn't pan out as a vocation, I travelled a circuitous career path that included stints in sports radio and test prep. While I generally found the work interesting, it never quite fulfilled my ambitions, so I do understand what it is like to feel bogged down in your professional life. Things began to change when, as part of a series of midlife changes, and with an eye toward finding more meaning in my work, I embarked on a career in psychotherapy, earning my M.A. from the California Institute of Integral Studies.
About Me
My approach is primarily relational. I believe that – and there is evidence to this effect – the quality of the therapeutic relationship is the most important determinant of success in therapy, and I will strive to make the therapeutic room a safe place, a laboratory in which you can experiment and explore. As for my orientation, I am largely psychodynamic, so I believe that our conditioning largely comes from early life experiences, and I have found that unresolved grief is at the heart of most psychic pain. Instead of asking, “What’s wrong with you?” I will ask, “What happened to you?” Together, we will look at these formative experiences not only with clear eyes, but also with compassion and – sometimes – a little humor.
My Approach
I believe that there is good in each of us. I believe that it takes guts to come to therapy, to take an honest look at ourself. I believe that each of us is dealing with some form of grief over something we have lost or never had, and that we need to get in touch with this. I believe that we all get in our own way sometimes, and that we wish we knew why, so we can stop. I believe that being a New York Mets fan builds character (or, at minimum, I want to believe that). And I believe that we each want to become our authentic self, a self that is naturally loving and kind, and that we all can change if — when — we overcome the belief that we can't.
