I used to feel like a complete mess. I was starting to lose myself and everyone else that I cared about. After working with Dave, I learned how to be mindful and talk myself out of my spiral of endless worry. I don’t feel so completely lost or crazy. Instead, I feel more normal, more at peace. I’m not totally fighting myself at every turn.”
Welcome! I work with people who want to get unstuck by becoming a better version of themselves. My approach to working with clients has been influenced greatly by the compassion of Carl Rogers, the cognitive-behavioral skills of Aaron Beck and the wisdom of Pema Chödrön. I use Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and am one of the few Certified Gottman Therapists in the area.
Of course, that’s the boring stuff. Let’s try that again with something more interesting:
- Eugene is my home town.
- I graduated in 1992 with a Master’s Degree in Clinical Social Work.
- Two of my sisters are also therapists, and my father is a retired Psychologist.
- I learned to drive a stick shift on the hills of downtown Seattle.
- Growing up with three younger sisters, I’ve never learned (or cared) to understand the rules for football.
- I’m pretty good with Star Trek trivia.
- I both love, and shudder at, the 80’s.
- My two favorite books for personal growth are The Alchemist and Who Moved My Cheese (only 95 pages; you can’t beat that).
For those that are fans of the Myers-Briggs, here’s my results (INFP):
I feel strongly that real, genuine change can happen when we remember and respond to these Essential Life Skills:
- Accept yourself and your situation as they are in order to know where to begin (what we avoid imprisons us).
- You must be curious to learn about your hidden thoughts and motivations, without assigning blame – this part is tricky.
- Have compassion for yourself and stop trying to prove yourself.
- Let you past inform your future, but not control it.
- Our thoughts and actions can directly affect our emotions.
- How we respond to a situation is just as important as the situation itself.
- Personal growth can be difficult to achieve when pursing dreams rather than goals.
- How we talk to those we care about is more important than what we talk about.