Scheduling your first therapy session can often seem like a vulnerable and daunting task. Many questions may be swimming in your mind about what the therapy process entails, whether you can find a therapist you can connect with, and wondering if it's even possible to actually achieve the outcomes you envision? So, in my efforts to assist you in answering some of these questions, here are a few reflections about what you can expect if you decide to schedule an appointment with me.

During our time together in therapy, this is my commitment to you:

• To actively pray for you (inside and outside session.)  My prayer focus will include: God’s leading in your life, your continued growth to know Him better and become more Christlike in all the circumstances that you face, healing in the areas you bring to therapy (in whatever way God sees fit- whether it be that He resolves the issue, or changes your in response to them.)  I will also be praying for myself, that the Lord gives me wisdom in how to best guide you with the expertise he has given me in my field and also my years as a follower of Christ.

• To seek to guide you from the ultimate authority of Scripture and to point you to pertinent material to study and reflect upon when appropriate (2 Timothy 3:16)

My approach:

• My 19 years' experience offering therapy has involved utilizing practices that have been shown by research to be effective in treating particular conditions. Because of this, I tend to be more structured and directive in my approach.  My process is very warm, validating and encouraging, while at the same time, focused on producing the changes you have come to therapy to make. This can sometimes feel uncomfortable at the time, but yield the results you desire in the long term.

• My approach often encompasses teaching competencies (or skills) that individuals are deficient in to make the needed changes they desire.  For example, the Bible instructs individuals to “Love your neighbor,”- but how exactly do I do that?  In my work with you I may focus on teaching you the skills of validating others, while at the very same time, maintaining limits or boundaries. 

• From the outset, we will set goals together and track your progress periodically along the way. From the initial appointment I will be providing you with a link to PsychSurveys.com where you will complete a series of selected surveys that will measure your initial distress level in particular areas and track your progress over time. This will allow me to objectively measure your symptoms and improvement over time and allow us to recognize (and celebrate!) progress and identify areas needing further growth.  This targeted and monitored focus allows you to spend less time in therapy and the assurance that you are achieving the outcomes you desire.

• I tend to be pretty open about my life and my own experiences. I believe that one of the best things I have to offer you as a therapist is my own lived experience with the things I will be teaching you and the areas I will be guiding you in.  I believe God has given each of us experiences that can be valuable in guiding and comforting others on a similar journey (2 Corint. 1: 3-7)

Things that might be addressed in therapy:

• It is often the case that the difficulties we bring to therapy that need change in our “real” lives, also invariably show up in the therapy relationship. This is actually great news because these issues can be directly targeted in the safety of the therapeutic relationship! So, my approach is to address these issues head on, identify them directly, and treat them just like any other issue that is being explored. If the therapy is to be effective, anything that keeps it from working is actively targeted.

My ultimate goal in therapy for you:

• To give you the tools, as a follower of Christ, to live the life that He has called you to live.  That means, being emotionally, mentally, relationally and spiritually healthy and able to navigate the complexities of life with stability.  If your life does not work on a practical level and you are not stable in these areas, it is very difficult to truly do the work that Christ has called you to. (Hebrews 12:1-2) Just like we are to be good stewards of our financial resources, we are to be good stewards of our mental and emotional health.