“We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.”
– T.S. Eliot, Four Quartets

“Don’t Panic.”
-Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

Like many therapists, I draw on numerous traditions of thought and practice within Western and Eastern Psychology. I’ve had the benefit of training in the major theoretical orientations to psychotherapy (psychoanalytic/psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, gestalt, family systems, and humanistic/existential/transpersonal). I would also include some of the Asian meditative traditions, the progenitors of what is popularly called ‘mindfulness’, as additional modalities that have influenced me on professional and personal levels. These traditions are collectively rich in theory, observations, and quantitative research and constitute a vast territory to draw upon, integrate, and uniquely apply to my work with any given individual. They do not, however, individually or even as a whole, reflect an exhaustive understanding of what it means to be human. It is always a deeply mysterious thing to be alive.

In my practice, I integrate across and within orientations, particularly emphasizing the psychoanalytic and existential-transpersonal traditions. These traditions are sometimes called insight and depth approaches because they emphasize the importance of knowing ourselves often through knowing what lies below conscious awareness. By this view, common problems such as depression, anxiety, obsessions, anger, aloofness, issues of identity and of intimacy are tied to the depths of our minds, our socio-cultural contexts, as well as occurrent life circumstances and biological factors which also have a significant impact. I apply the same curiosity to more severe and debilitating problems, such as psychosis and the so-called personality disorders.

Not all therapists share my interest in exploring the depths of the mind. Many today, if not most, prefer to work in other ways to relieve symptoms. For depth and insight-oriented psychotherapists, such as myself, symptom alleviation is important, but rarely a sufficient outcome for treatment. We are well suited, by virtue of training and personality, to explore the subtle and secret parts of the psyche, which can determine our quality of life and our capacities for love, work, and play.

If we were to work together, I would be curious about many dimensions of your experience such as current relationships, ongoing emotional difficulties, cultural background, childhood, spirituality, sexuality, dreams, fantasies, and even your experience of me. My sincere hope is that you will feel respected throughout the process and sense that this curiosity comes from a place of warmth and goodwill. Ultimately, I hope that our collaborative exploration will bring you relief from suffering and a greater sense of freedom, possibility, aliveness, and meaning in your life.