Becoming a counselor was primarily a calling for me. Growing up in a religious home and having a faith of my own, I sought the guidance of my God. It is my belief that he guided me toward this profession.

In my career at Kaiser Permanente, I was tasked with supporting any and all who came through the doors seeking help. therefore, I have learned to work with a diverse group.

I very much enjoy to work with those that are eager to learn and engage. The more trust that is established in the therapeutic relationship the more those conditions increase. Those who have a more philosophical nature and thought process are rather enjoyable as well,

It is important for clients to be aware of their strengths and to have discernment to know when to use particular strengths and skills.

Thriveworks gives me a chance to work with a much broader range of people and provide encouragement to those new to me.

I am inspired by those who utilize courage and gain confidence in themselves. I am inspired by those who begin to trust themselves more and who find peace and hope,

In the first session of the counseling process, a client will expect a lot of questions. They can expect good questions with the whole goal of establishing a relationship but also for the chance for "telling their story." Just the act of expression is therapeutic all on its own even though it is the beginning point, They can expect to be accepted unconditionally.

Sometimes I notice that I can get ahead of myself in the first session and I want to jump too quickly into skill building. There may be a need for that sometimes but primarily the first session is for building therapeutic relationship, normalizing of the presenting problem, development of treatment goals and evaluating reasonable goals. For the skills to be properly utilized and effective a strong foundation has to be established which includes building trust on both sides of the desk.

Before a person schedules themselves for counseling it is important for them to know that we want counseling to "feel good." On the other hand, there are definitely times when counseling will be challenging and will require courage. It will not always feel good. When the concept of setting emotional or relational boundaries with another person is discussed, it is stated that by saying "no" to someone it may make them mad. But sometimes we can only make our relationship better by saying that "no." It may hurt for a while but only then can healing begin.

When I am not supporting others in counseling, I like to be active. I have always been athletic playing any sport with a ball. More recently I have been engaging in Crossfit which has been quite a physical challenge. Additionally, I spend time with my wife, adult children and our long-haired miniature dachshund. Hiking, fishing, camping in the higher elevations has been a regular activity for our family as well.

Primarily my faith is what has defined me and continues to define me. Though my faith is not perfect, I seek to utilize my faith to guide every aspect of my life.