Personal Statement

The relationship between the psychotherapist and the client is of utmost importance in my practice- feeling understood, accepted and not judged: I have extensive experience both as a practitioner and as a teacher/supervisor. My work is informed by a knowledge of human psychological development and unconscious processes: that is requisite for being able to listen to and understand what people are experiencing both within their awareness and what may not be, without professional help.

Most people require some interaction with the therapist. I play an active role in eliciting people's experiences and feelings in order to fully understand what their struggles are. Some people require less interaction. Being intuitively attuned, knowing when and how to intervene is a critical part of my practice. My psychodynamic training has enabled me to help people understand what may be underlying their difficulties in relationships- family, partners and friends, as well as career and parenting issues.

Loss and grief issues are my specialty. That includes infertility and issues related to becoming a parent. My training has also provided me with the tools needed for work in couples counseling when "emotional baggage" from early family conflicts or deficits have played a barrier to understanding and resolving problems between couples. I see my role as a therapist to listen to and understand what each person is communicating verbally and non-verbally: people are often not able to articulate what they are struggling with- putting the feelings into a thought.

The fit between therapist and client is crucial. Sensitivity to revealing your most personal feelings with a stranger is critical to enable each person to begin this process.