Services

Addiction – I work with individuals, couples, and families where problems with mood altering substances or behaviors are part of the lifestyle of one or more family members . This includes:

Adult children of addicted/abusing parent(s) – past/present
Children with parent(s) who are addicts
Parents whose children are addicts

Partners (co-dependents) of addicts

I work with these addictions: Alcohol/Drugs, Co-enabling, Cybersex, Debting (spending) Eating, Gambling, Internet Abuse, Love, Pornography, Self Injury, Sex, Shopping

Adolescents – I meet with teenagers alone and with their families. I have 25 years of experience with this difficult, yet gratifying age group. I have experienced the difficulties of raising my own teens, a challenge that has added to my ability to work with other teens and their families.

Anxiety – Phobias, obsessions, obsessive compulsions, social fears, extreme avoidance, post traumatic stress, unhealthy patterns of eating, using mood altering substances or other destructive behaviors to manage stress. These fears can be life compromising or even life threatening. There are extremely successful treatment strategies to cure or reduce stress and anxiety disorders.

Couples – I work with couples to improve their relationships, deal more effectively with areas of conflict and manage any area of strong emotional content in a way that brings satisfaction. Couple therapy addresses issues from communication and sexuality to co-parenting and co-enabling when one of the two has an addiction. I have specialized experience in the area of cross cultural/racial/ethnic couples and the challenges that confront them.

Depression – Feeling blue, unhappy, sad, miserable, helpless, hopeless? Reasons for depression are situational and biological. Most, if not all, people experience depression in their lives for various reasons. Seeking professional help can be useful in managing symptoms in a healthful, non-destructive manner.

Eating Disorders – Because of my work with teenage girls and women, I have considerable experience with eating disorders and problematic eating. Men are afflicted by ED as well, though not to the extent that it affects women. It is estimated that 90% of girls and women have worries and preoccupation with their bodies, weight, eating habits, and other destructive behavior related to body image. I have received special training in this area.

Families – I work with the following types of families and family-related challenges : blended families, cross-cultural families, developmental stage challenges (e.g. new-born, grandparents, teens), families with addicted member(s), young families, divorced families, single parent families, LGBT families, families with sick or mentally ill member(s), families with incest survivors, families with trauma victim(s) and families with victims of violence.

Self-Harm – Self-injurious behavior has significantly increased over the past decade. Most professionals who do research and clinical work with this disorder, define it as an addiction. Self-injury shows various addictive qualities and may serve as a form of self-medication, depending on the individual and the circumstances.Sexuality