Successful therapy relies on a positive, collaborative working alliance

Welcome!

I provide counseling services to adults, adolescents,and preteens using individual and family counseling.

Individual counseling addresses the following conditions: depression; bipolar disorder (in conjunction with a psychiatrist); trauma and grief; disruptive behavior including anger problems; substance abuse; work/professional challenges; and repetitive self defeating behavior.

I use a variety of techniques including interpersonal, cognitive, and existential psychotherapy. Effective counseling results from a positive working alliance between counselor and client. That's a top priority for me.  Your input is a critical element.

It is important to work in collaboration with other involved professionals. I work psychiatrists regularly. I am always willing to meet new professionals who will communicate and work with me for your benefit.

I offer a concierge level of client service without the add-on  charges,  

A positive working alliance is the key to successful therapy.

Symptoms and Issues

Symptoms are typically what get people to therapy. For example major and persistent depression, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and bipolar disorder.

Issues include family conflict, career and workplace challenges, separation and divorce, parent-child estrangement, anger management and other major life events.

Unresolved troubling issues may cause symptoms, and symptoms almost always make issues worse.

Effective therapy focuses on those symptoms and issues that will have the most impact on relieving stress and distress. 

Individual Adult Counseling

Adults seeking help for depression, mood regulation, anger problems, and anxiety often benefit by identifying and managing their symptoms and issues.  

Adults also benefit greatly from identifying the source and structure of challenges that occur over-and-over in their lives. Why do work and personal relationships come undone in similar ways so frequently?  

Individual counseling offers an eye-opening and exciting path that provides a major upgrade in your quality of life.

The goals are proper identification of symptoms and issues and action to address those issues.  The odds on success increase greatly when you and I have strong working alliance. 

Adolescent & Family Counseling

Being a teenager in Northern Virginia can be challenging in the extreme. Teen are exposed to the dangers of drugs and alcohol, sexual violence, and bullying.  Their lives can be complicated by grinding perfectionism or they may simply give up because they are  just "average."  Divorce is a major source of turmoil.  And loss of a parent, grandparent,  or very close friend is often devastating.

Counseling can help teens cope with these challenges, put their problems in perspective, and develop life skills to chart recovery and positive directions.

In addition to issues, the major behavioral disorders start in the teen years.  These include major depression, persistent depression (dysthymia), mood regulation disorders, and various anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety, panic disorder, and PTSD.  Early identification of at-risk teens and help for their families has immediate and lifelong benefits.

Family therapy insures parental involvement to reduce conflict and maximize family cohesion.