My private practice has been the result of many forces in my life. First, as a child of divorce, then professionally as a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist working with children of divorce and their families, and finally, in experiencing my own divorce and remarriage – all roads have lead here.
With almost 25 years of professional experience, I have come to have a no-nonsense, practical approach to improving your marriage, working with separation or divorce, or talking to you about improving the current state of your family functioning.
It is important to be wise and informed when considering how to improve your marriage or when going through a separation or contemplating divorce. The way you approach and handle this time impacts your future health and contentment with your life, as well as that of your children. It is an opportunity for “corrections” in one’s life, to live a life that is more congruent, to use this transformational (and sometimes very painful) experience in your life for the better. It is an opportunity to improve the lives of the next generation in your family.
I am not a proponent of divorce. Nor do I “encourage” divorce. I am interested in revealing and building on the hope that may exist in your marriage. I know that committed partnership is truly a cornerstone of joy and peace in one’s life. It is an opportunity for “safe haven” from which to launch every day and to come back to for a sense of security and warmth. Intimate and committed relationships are essential in living a full life. If you are a parent you know that a schism in your relationship with your partner or spouse makes life pretty challenging, and guess what? Your kids can feel it. It is terribly important to lead by example, and if you are not addressing core issues in your marriage, you are not doing your kids a favor. In fact, you may not realize this, but kids observe and feel it all. And over the years, they develop all kinds of ways of dealing with this, adjusting to it, and learning ways of being in relationship with others. It’s important to “get right” with yourself, to shift dynamics in your partnership to a more health place for the kids, to have integrity in their eyes, and in your own.
Whether you are working on your marriage, separation, or divorce, I will be able to support you in the process and be there alongside your walk through this tremendous life transition. My goal in helping clients is to be a source of information, to help assist in gaining clarity, and to help you remain as grounded as possible while you experience this phase of your life.
I am a proponent of healthy and positive relationships, whether they are between people who are married, or, people who have decided to divorce. Especially when children are involved, a positive relationship between parents is the most important factor in a child’s well-being and self-esteem.
I am a mother, a wife, an ex-wife, a daughter, a sister, a friend and I bring these pieces of myself into my profession. I take the work that I do very seriously and feel an obligation to come from a place of integrity myself.
In the therapy world, there is research that dates back to the mid-1900s that establishes that the therapeutic relationship – the relationship between therapist and client – is the basis of security, safety, and ultimately change in the client. There are many tools, approaches, and strategies that therapists employ to help clients with growth and change. And this is important…that a therapist is up on research, common and new practices and techniques, ethical and legal practices, and is ever growing and evolving professionally. And… the therapeutic relationship is truly the foundation and the key to successful therapy. Without it, things just won’t gel, it will feel awkward, unsafe at times, funky, and there is probably going to be little progress. To me, one of the main priorities that I have is for you to feel that I see you, I understand where you are coming from and who you are, what is important to you, what you want, so that I can help you in this vein. It is more important for you to feel safe and that I am truly working for and with you. This doesn’t mean I will spend your time and money telling you what you want to hear, but that I am “all in” when it comes to helping you. I believe that my clients feel this and that it is meaningful in so many ways.
Healing a marriage, becoming separated, or divorcing…these are major life events.
And I am here to help.
To support you and your family through this time, to help parents and show them where their power and choices lie, to empower you to handle your marriage, separation or divorce with heart, integrity, and responsibility – that is my role.
Healing and peace are on the horizon.
Marriage & Family Therapist, Relationship Issues, Divorce & Family Conflict.
