I have felt drawn to the helping professions, especially counseling, because of the contributions of school counselors, art teachers, and my high school band director. These adults were necessary to my growth and development as a youth, and as I launched off on my own away from my childhood house.

In my practice so far, couples and families have responded very positively to my work. Up to now, the clients who seem to gain the most are those who struggle to see themselves as worthy or find their own strengths and values.

I wish everyone knew how much power and influence they had over their life and over their problems. I think one reason people don't see it is that having the power to do something feels frightening because it means they have responsibility also.

They can expect a lot of warmth and encouragement to say everything they came to the room with. There is no telling where answers and solutions will be found, so the more they are willing to offer, the more we will have to work with in constructing a new way forward

After I left my childhood house, my studies in Literature, philosophy, psychology, and eventually Counseling all contributed to my ability to create an outlook on life that was beneficial to me. Equally moving to me has been my marriage to my wife, our work making a home and raising two children, and our time spent serving in the churches we have been part of over the last couple of decades.

The best way to make sure therapy fits the client is to make certain that I am not engaging in it without intention or trying to be formulaic in my application of theory. It is easier to ask the same questions and make patterned, habitual, or "safe" responses, or to allow the client's expectations of therapy to guide what time we have together. Instead, I work to stay present and responsive, always ready to note small details and take up brief opportunities that can be missed or overlooked with "normal" responses