Gottman Referral Network

About

About

It is a privilege to have been working with couples, families, and individuals for over 17 years.

With couples and families, my expertise includes helping address problems with communication, emotional and physical intimacy, and conflict management. I work with couples who wish to deepen and strengthen their relationship. Another area of focus in my practice is premarital counseling where I take seriously dating and engaged couples through the evidence based Prepare program.

I believe every couple and family is unique so my objective is to work collaboratively with each couple or family on their goals. Some examples of goals I have helped other couples with include; affair recovery, overcoming depression or anxiety and its affects on the relationship, rekindling emotional and physical intimacy, infertility, parenting, blended family issues, and help family/couple manage a family member who struggles with substance abuse or mental illness.

With individuals, I help with depression and/or anxiety that is exacerbated by existing relationships or that has developed out of a difficult relationship. I help guide and coach individuals resolve their struggles with family members, friends, co-workers, or members of one’s faith community. I help individuals regain control of overwhelming and intrusive anxious thoughts. I provide support for individuals in their active recovery from substance abuse or other strongholds. I help individuals identify and manage their particular anger style, deal with grief/loss, and forgiveness issues. I am certified in EMDR, a modality of therapy used for those who have experienced trauma.

In addition to being a certified Gottman therapist, I also worked for 8 years as an assistant professor at the master’s level in the Marital and Family Therapy program at Hope International University. Some of the courses I have taught include: couple therapy, sex therapy, treatment of adolescence and children, treatment of substance abuse, and treatment of partner abuse.

My Approach

My approach to therapy is supportive, active, and practical. My style is gentle and directive; I offer researched based insights. I see my role as one in which I am able to assist you in repairing and enhancing your relationships. The techniques I use to help you reach your individual and relational goals are developed from Gottman’s cutting-edge research on what makes for enduring and satisfying relationships. In addition to the Gottman Method, I draw from therapy methods called, family systems, cognitive-behavioral, and attachment theory. Family systems addresses how to balance our need to be uniquely ourselves and our need to be in satisfying relationships, which at times may seem to be at odds. Cognitive-behavioral method helps with improving our moods and changing unwanted habits. Attachment theory helps with enhancing our ability to bond and feel closer with important loved ones. In my experience when these models are applied, it leads to an improved overall sense of well-being and relational harmony.

Special populations

I am a certified therapist in EMDR ( Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing) treatment modality.

For those seeking therapy from a Christian perspective, I have the training, education, and experience with integrating Christian based values with bibilically sound psychological principles.