I became a counselor out of 1.) a love of psychology, and 2.) to give people a different experience from therapy. I have heard a lot of stories from people feeling that their therapists were "overly clinical" and while I think evidence-based practices absolutely play a role in therapy, I think that joining with someone as a person first is the most important factor. As a human-being who has (naturally) had his own mental health challenges, I think it is important to recognize the ultimately human (rather than clinical factor) of our work first. My best experiences have been with clients where we have "let the guard down" on the clinical aspect and engaged with each other as people.

The clients that I am most inspired to work with are those who seek not just to derive contentment with life, but with those who are interested in finding and discovering meaning within a life that may otherwise seem meaningless, disempowering, etc. I enjoy working with clients who seek to better understand how they can thrive within systems that may otherwise seem disempowering.

I wish that all of my clients knew how valuable they are. Even if they don't feel it, I truly believe that all of us are here for something-- even if that is just being here to live out and experience a truly "human" experience.

I chose to practice at Thriveworks because I feel that Thriveworks allows a therapist to operate how they (in their clinical experience and lived experience) should operate. I believe that relying on either one of those alone (clinical experience or lived experience), results in a very biased and limited way of responding to the needs of anyone's needs. I would like to believe I can anticipate the needs of everyone I serve, but I will never assume I know everything about any client's lived experience.

In a first session, a client should expect that we will essentially get to know each other. We may not start "therapy" in the first one or two sessions that we meet with each other, but I want to make sure I genuinely know the person before starting any type of therapy.

I want to know the basics of your life and the moments that have led you up to your presentation in therapy. It is ok if we don't get to the "deepest" or "hardest" moments of your life in our first session. I mostly want to know what you want out of this experience and how therapy can be helpful to you.

I am a white homosexual cis-gender male. I am 29 years-old living with my partner in West Philadelphia.

I enjoy running, playing piano, biking, hiking, and playing video games

I work best with people who are struggling with what some might call "angst." What I mean is those who are frustrated with where they are in the world and may see a better future, but don't know how to get there. I think that angst can motivate making changes to create a life worth well-lived even despite the challenges posed by modern life.

The people that I am most inspired to work with are those who seek not just to derive contentment with life, but with those who are interested in finding and discovering meaning within a life that may otherwise seem meaningless, overwhelming, etc. I enjoy working with people who seek to better understand how they can thrive within systems that may otherwise seem disempowering.