About Me
I am a native Texan, born in Dallas. I moved to Houston when I was a child and have lived here most of my adult life. I am an alumnus of St. John’s School and I graduated from Southwestern University with a bachelor's degree in psychology, communications, and history. I received my master's degree in social work from the University of Houston. I also completed the Leadership Education and Adolescent Health Fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine. I have worked extensively with both adults and adolescents in various clinical settings. Before going into private practice I was employed with Baylor College of Medicine at Texas Children’s Hospital, and Ben Taub General Hospital as both an individual and family therapist. I am a licensed ropes course facilitator, a grief facilitator, and an experienced trainer and educator. I have been joined at the hip for almost 20 years to my lovely wife, Amanda, and together we have four inspiring children, one fantastic dog and four crazy guinea pigs. I enjoy spending time with family, reading, running 1/2 marathons around the country, listening to music, attending trainings on new modalities and exploring art. I am an avid movie buff and have additional training in film production.
Philosophy
Psychotherapy is an opportunity for personal transformation. This transformation comes through sometimes wonderful and sometimes difficult interaction between therapist and client. I view therapy as a collaborative process in which my greatest advantage is providing an outside perspective. I will use my clinical skills to help you examine your particular life challenges from a functional, multi-dimensional point of view. I take an eclectic approach to therapy which combines many techniques from different modalities to help you lead a more satisfying life. Therapeutic modalities that I draw from include (but are not limited to):
- Classic psychoanalysis
- Psychodynamic psychotherapy
- Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PTSD/OCD)
- Gestalt Therapy
- Schema Therapy
- Jungian Therapy
- Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Gottman Therapy
- Relational Life Therapy (RLT)
I believe that good therapy relies on a melding of treatment strategies that work for each client. Therefore, your treatment plan will be tailored and modified to your unique life challenges. Part of the “art” of therapy is judging when to apply the right tools from the most effective modality. In the resources page of this site you can find more information about various treatment modalities. Philosophically, I believe very strongly that you are the best expert on your own struggles. We are closest to the paths we tread. It is my job as a therapist to bring the whole of my experience to bear on helping you find within yourself the things you have lost through your life problems. I assist you in accessing your values and moving in a direction of your choosing. I try to help you complete this task with caring, respect, humility, and humor.
Services
Psychotherapy
General information about therapy and how it works, how sessions are scheduled and the process itself.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy -DBT
An overview of treatment for clients who have high emotional sensitivity, high reactivity and slow return to baseline level of emotionality.
Couples Therapy
An evidence based approach to couplehood, for individuals who are married or in a committed relationship.
Adolescent & Young Adult Therapy
A family based approach to psychotherapy with young people exploring transitions in their lives.
Prolonged Exposure Therapy
An evidence based approach for clients suffering from the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and/or obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).
Group Therapy
Psychodynamic process group designed for men exploring self-esteem and stress management.