ANXIETY-Tension, worry, self-consciousness, shame, panics, phobias, and stress. Sometimes anxiety is not experienced directly but known mainly through symptoms such as addictions, insomnia, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, or medical problems.

DEPRESSION-Feelings of chronic sadness and inability to feel pleasure or excitement. Both are accompanied by such symptoms such as pessimism, discouragement, low self-esteem, guilt, irritability, insomnia, abnormal eating, a sense of failure, low energy , and a sense of overwhelm.

GRIEF & LOSS- Including but not limited to death. Losses come in all varieties from the loss of a special item, job, friendship or other significant activity, person, or thing.

POST TRAUMATIC STRESS SYMPTOMS- Emotional reactivity and vulnerability and/or numbness, flashbacks or dreams of terrible experiences, mental distress and physiological reactions to reminders of the trauma, avoidance of reminders, detachment and isolation, inability to feel, heightened vigilance and startle response, insomnia, poor concentration.

RELATIONSHIP ISSUES-Problems with communication, contact, intimacy, commitment, assertiveness, and other problems, including those caused by bringing old family scripts, identifications, traumas, and deprivations into current relationships.

SELF-ESTEEM-Experienced as unworthiness, inadequacy, deficiency, or badness. Shame undermines confidence, self-esteem, and self-assertion; it often leads us to sabotage success or to work compulsively to prove ourselves; it causes anxiety, fear of exposure, and self-consciousness.

INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING-To understand, prevent and resolve life's challenges in a non- threatening, non-judgmental fashion. 

COUPLES THERAPY-If you are having difficulty in a relationship, I can work with you individually. However, if the other person is willing to address issues with you, often it is more effective to meet with both parties together.

FAMILY THERAPY-If your family is experiencing conflict and communication is strained, family therapy can assist all parties in expressing their needs in order to re(establish) bonds and effective communication.

GROUP THERAPY-For those seeking change in personal goals through a supportive group. 

COACHING-For goal formulation and the development of effective skills that will organize and allow you to follow through with personal or career goals.

Play Therapy- (For Children Ages 3-10)
Play therapy is a form of treatment that helps children to understand and express their emotions, solve internal conflicts and improve their communication.  Play therapy relies on children’s natural tendency to gravitate towards materials that allow them to express their needs, desires and wishes in a way that their words alone cannot do. Through the use of various media, including storytelling, puppet play, drama, music, dance, sand play, painting and drawing, and other creative outlets, your child will learn ways to resolve their internal and external conflicts.  Children who engage in play therapy will learn to understand and safely express their needs, hurts, and desires from adults and peers in an adaptive manner.  Play therapy is most appropriate for children 3-10 years of age.

What types of problems does play therapy address?

Play therapy can ameliorate the effects of trauma and loss, reduce anxiety and depression, improve children’s behavior, and help children manage social and academic difficulties. The therapist will also work with families in discovering new problem-solving strategies that support healthy family functioning, as well as, strong social and emotional development.

What happens during play therapy?

It is believed that children gravitate to what their emotions require. If they are angry they may choose materials that allow them to release their frustrations. If they are attempting to make sense of some internal conflicts, they may choose self-soothing materials that allow them to safely explore their feelings. At other points they may look for specific activities, such as drawing family scenes, using puppets or a sand tray to act out events, telling stories, or playing specially designed therapeutic games. Children typically leave the play room feeling refreshed and empowered after having the time and space to be with their thoughts and feelings without shame, guilt, or fear.