Counseling & Psychotherapy

Sadness, anxiety, and fear are just some of the common uncomfortable feelings we experience in life. While difficult, uncomfortable feelings are also evidence that we are caring people that are hurting. Using acceptance and commitment therapy, I support people as they re-evaluate their feelings and get back on track living a valued life. 

My time as a therapist has taught me that hurtful relationships and loneliness are at the heart of a great deal of emotional pain. These hurtful relationships can happen with family, friends, loved ones, romantic partners, co-workers, and so on.  Using emotion focused therapy and other well researched approaches like ACT and the Gottman method, I work with individuals and couples on forming more secure, emotionally fulfilling relationships with themselves and others.

I have counseled a diversity of Oklahomans, including members of different races, cultures, ethnicities, LGBTQ+ populations, socioeconomic levels, age groups, religious affiliations, spiritual beliefs, and so forth. I am a secular counselor who believes a client's values and beliefs come first in counseling, while mine are best "checked at the door."  I believe it is a counselor's job to understand clients as cultural beings whose struggles may be perpetuated or amplified by broader social problems and discrimination.  I believe in promoting inclusivity and providing counseling opportunities to those who may not otherwise have access to help.

Many of us have experienced painful and traumatic life experiences. Anxiety, fear, loss of control, and hopelessness are just a few uncomfortable things lingering after such experiences.  Unfortunately, a lot of times we feel "it's all in our head" or that it's our fault for experiencing or feeling the way we do.  Using research supported counseling techniques, I help and guide people through the process of learning about trauma and healing from their suffering. 

Getting help for problematic substance use is hard, given the misguided stigmas and unfortunate ways our legal system approaches people struggling with from the use of alcohol and/or drugs.  I do not feel people are "alcoholics" or "addicts", in as much as human beings in pain and deserving help instead of punishment.  In fact, I believe a lot of problematic substance use comes down to trying to cope with emotional pain, whether for things that have happened, feeling out of control, or being generally unhappy.  Using acceptance and commitment therapy and other empirically supported techniques, I help people with learning about substance use behaviors and healing from them. 

Due to the pandemic, I am meeting with many clients using online services.  However, if you are unable or do not have access to online services, please talk to me about the possibility of meeting in-person (masks required).  As the pandemic continues to unfold, I am following CDC recommendations and guidelines regarding the use of masks and other safety precautions for all in-person meetings. 

Note that receiving online services allows for counseling at a safe distance during this pandemic.  Studies have shown that online counseling can be as effective as in-person meetings. Counseling online with me involves a simple web-based application accessible by personal computer, smart phone, or tablet.  The use of online services requires a camera, mic, stable internet connection, and private location.