Life presents all of us with challenges. Sometimes these challenges can feel overwhelming. Perhaps we’re having trouble developing meaningful relationships, or an existing relationship is not working out as hoped. Maybe we’re feeling depressed or anxious, yet we’re having difficulty identifying the source of these feelings. We may be experiencing deep grief, bouts of intense anger, or even a sense that we’re falling apart at the seams.

All of these problems share a common feature: At their root is the experience of feeling disconnected, alienated, or isolated in our own suffering and confusion. Most of us try to tough it out; we hope that willpower can pull us through the difficult times. While there is something to be said for focused effort, sometimes it’s not enough. Sometimes the “symptoms” that we are having are pushing us to move beyond our old ways of seeing and coping. During such times, it can help to create an alliance with someone who has studied the terrain — someone who has developed the skills to help us meet the challenges that we face.

As a counselor with over 10 years of experience, I have learned to see life’s challenges as providing an opportunity for personal growth and healing. I help people take advantage of these opportunities by encouraging them to rediscover their inner resources. Although awareness of our intuitive wisdom can become clouded, we can learn to better access our own personal strength through a process of self-reflection. We then find that we are more able to manage the day-to-day choices that affect our sense of wellbeing.

At the core of my work is the process of truth-telling. Most of us go through our daily lives with narratives about ourselves, our relationships, and the world in general. Sometimes these stories are “cover-stories” that are easier to accept than the truth. Other times, they involve negative exaggerations and caricatures of ourselves and others. In either case, they tend to keep us from engaging our genuine selves in meaningful ways. Because an important part of my job is to tell the truth as I see it, I work best with clients who are ready to discover and engage their genuine selves.

Portland, My Adopted Home

In 2000, my secondary career took me to Portland. Experiencing life outside the sometimes insular world of the mental health profession has made me more sensitive to the stresses and challenges that most people face on a daily basis. In 2009, I decided that it was time to take my real-world experience and bring it into a mental health counseling practice in Portland.

While Portland is a city with some unique advantages, it also has some unique challenges. Some people complain that they have found it difficult to engage socially. Others are sensitive to the overcast, rainy winters and the resulting lack of light. Still others find that the local economy does not always provide the opportunities for gainful employment or career advancement.

Depression, anxiety, social isolation, anger, and grief are common emotional struggles that counselors in Portland address. Please feel free to contact me for a free consultation if you are seeking help with any of these issues.