I bring a broad range of experience to my work as a clinical psychologist. While psychotherapy has always been at the heart of what I do, I’ve also spent many years teaching and supervising graduate students training to become therapists at several universities in the Washington, D.C. area. I’ve taught courses in cognitive-behavioral therapy and clinical interviewing, and have led workshops on journaling for self-understanding and personal control.

I’ve also offered programs on listening more effectively, reducing fear and negativity, and managing runaway eating. My work in this area has included therapy groups focused on overeating and bulimia, along with a long-running support program for people coping with intense anxiety.

I work primarily with individuals and couples. Many of the people I see struggle with anxiety, depression, or difficulty sustaining self-control. Overcoming these challenges often means learning to quiet—or at times disarm—a side of yourself that tends to take over but doesn’t actually serve you well.

I also work with those who find themselves struggling within a relationship, or with relationships in general, and who want to improve how they connect and communicate. We might focus on building closeness, resolving conflict more cooperatively, speaking up when boundaries are crossed, or finding ways to express anger without escalating tension.

It is often useful to reflect on conversations that turned contentious and to consider how to approach similar situations with greater poise and clarity. Dealing straightforwardly and fairly with another person may involve calmly noting aspects of their behavior that contributed to the difficulty, while also acknowledging—when relevant—missteps of your own. The challenge is to speak about provocative matters unprovokingly.

The ability to engage with another person openly and without defensiveness often depends on one’s relationship to vulnerability. Someone who is so frightened of being wrong that honestly addressing personal lapses feels impossible may begin to reverse this pattern by keeping in mind the strength it takes—and the strength that emerges—through the deliberate act of cutting against the grain of entrenched habit.

Meeting with a counselor isn’t always an easy decision. It can be hard to know what to expect, and it’s not uncommon to worry that therapy might not live up to your hopes. When life already feels difficult, the last thing anyone wants is another disappointment.

My role is to create a safe and supportive environment where you can talk about what’s painful or confusing without fear of being judged, shamed, or rejected. As you discuss different aspects of your life, I listen closely—attuned to the thoughts and feelings beneath the surface, including those that may be harder to see. I offer my understanding of what I hear, adding texture where I can, so that you gain the benefit of getting to know yourself better. Developing a richer vocabulary to describe the currents of your emotional life can also make it easier to understand—and to connect with—the internal experiences of others.

Feeling understood can quiet the fear of not being understood. As apprehension recedes, a willingness to share more freely may follow, and previously recessed material can begin to rise to the surface. Growing confidence in the therapist may encourage greater risk-taking in what is said.

Thoughts may be raised for exploration even when they are only partially formed, or when it is unclear where their expression might lead. Concerns or emotions that are uncomfortable to face—because they expose vulnerability or cast one in an unflattering light—may be more readily spoken about. The reward for overcoming a reticence toward openness, or for recognizing previously unseen aspects of one’s make-up, conduct, or relationships, is a broader sense of freedom.

There may be times when I don't immediately grasp the full nature of what you're saying. Even so, this can be a helpful moment. In clarifying your experience for me, you may begin to notice—perhaps as you hear, possibly for the first time, your own articulation of the matter—facets of your thinking that hadn’t been apparent before.

As part of helping someone talk through their circumstances—especially if they’re feeling blocked or jumbled—I’ll gently raise questions that help draw out a fuller picture of what’s been happening. My inquiry may prompt you to take a fresh look at a familiar matter, to flesh out a conception of an issue that isn’t yet well understood, or to act differently as a consequence of revising your thinking. Over time, the process of examining your experiences and putting them into words fosters a clearer awareness of how your inner world operates.

A person in psychological trouble may feel stumped when it comes to finding a way to relieve their distress. When someone feels unable to figure out how to tackle a problem, I offer suggestions aimed at helping them become unstuck. Drawing on my understanding of a person’s strengths and gaps in thinking and behavior—and on my sense of the resources needed to meet current demands—I propose ways of viewing the situation and courses of action designed to narrow the divide between existing capacities and required competencies. You remain free to accept or reject these suggestions as you see fit. I’m always ready to explain in detail the reasoning behind any perspective or course of action I recommend.

One path to knowing yourself that therapy can encourage is recognizing how external events affect your inner experience, and how those reactions, in turn, shape the behavior that follows. A further benefit of this understanding is gaining insight into how thoughts and feelings drive unproductive actions, and how those actions set off the problem-sustaining thoughts and feelings that take hold next. Examining how each of these spheres influences the other can promote a more nuanced appreciation of the subtleties of your personal psychology.

Therapy, at its best, becomes a sustained exploration of what it means to live with awareness, resilience, and compassion for oneself and for others.