I started off as a music education major in college, and even joined the Marine Corps as a musician after my sophomore year. After my 4 years in the military I decided that a change in career path was necessary. In my adolescence my aunt married a kind and wise man that was a psychologist who earned his PhD from the University of Florida. I always admired what he did and thoroughly enjoyed my conversations with him. He served as an inspiration to follow the path that allows me to assist others in their journey of self-discovery. I enjoy the opportunity to guide others in the realization of who they can be, despite any roadblocks that may be in the way.

I work best with clients that are willing to be honest with themselves and honest about the effort they are willing to put in towards making positive changes in their lives. Part of my routine in the initial intake is to assure the client that I am just the "mental health Uber driver." I will never push to take them anywhere they don't want to go; however, they need to have some sense of where they want to end up in order to start the journey.

I have missed working with my Veteran population, but I can honestly say that I truly enjoy working with all of the diversity that I have met through my last 14 years. As long as the client is willing to meet me halfway, it is a rewarding experience to watch an individual overcome the adversities that have prevented them enjoying the best version of themselves.

It's ok to not be ok. Society is working towards normalizing this philosophy; however, there are still many members of the Boomers and Generation X that were raised to believe that it is inappropriate to discuss and explore thoughts and emotions.

My biggest inspiration is my mother. If there was ever a person that I know who embodies the philosophies of empathy, kindness, and treating others with no judgment, it is her. I also have my late uncle to thank for inspiring me to follow my heart and choose a path that allows me to help others and constantly learn new things daily.

I do my best to ease any of the expected anxieties that come along with an initial intake session. I spend a short bit of time in the session explaining who I am as a person and a therapist, in an attempt to establish some sense of trust and rapport. Without that, there is only so much that can be accomplished in counseling sessions. I also like to explore expectations from the client, what it is they want out of the counseling experience and what they expect from their clinician.

I like to "paint" as much of the picture as possible in the allotted time that is available for an initial intake. Who they are as a person, what motivated them to seek out counseling services, what goals they have for themselves, and I certainly want to know what they do for fun i.e. interests and hobbies. The more collateral information I can gather, the more precise and accurate their treatment plan can be.

I only ask for honesty, not necessarily towards me, but definitely the ability to be honest with themselves. All too often I have encountered individuals that are under the misconception that counseling can "fix them." The truth is that the client needs to be honest with themselves about the effort the are willing to put in in order to enact positive change.

My self-care consists of spending time with my wife and our fur babies. We love to travel, especially anywhere with a scenic beach and quality music. I also own a Harley-Davidson and try to get in as much"2-wheel therapy" as I can. Music is very important to me, it's part of my identity, so I enjoy playing, listening, and singing as much as I can. Lastly, I'm still stuck in my adolescence when it comes to video games. Yes, I'm a Gen-Xer who still plays video games and loves every second of it.

I would say my sense of humor is what defines me most. I'm an extrovert who loves to make others laugh and enjoy their time with me.