Psychotherapy

What’s it like working with me?  If I do my job well, it is different for each person; everyone I see draws something differently from me and together we establish a unique relationship.  Typically, my caseload includes women and men from their 20s to their 70s or 80s.  Those who find working with me most helpful usually have access to their humor, humility, courage, and compassion -- or a desire to develop a connection to these virtues.  

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I primarily see adult individuals – and occasionally couples seeking depth work. Otherwise, I work with all kinds of people, especially clergy and clinicians – no surprise there! – plus folks from a variety of fields, including medicine, business, and law.  Much more important than what you do for a living is what you are seeking in life.  

 

Most people come to me not with an “illness” to be cured but with a “problem” or “challenge” they wish to explore.  Five areas that have loomed large in my practice over the years include:

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Retirement.  I enjoy working with people in their 50s, 60s, and 70s as they contemplate the array of issues that surround this phase of life.

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"Getting established in life."  From the earliest years of my practice, I’ve worked with young people, helping them figure out those two great challenges of life: love and work.

 

​ Relationships and sexuality.  This has been one of the richest areas of my work for decades.  I love engaging the complexity of human relationships and how we express them sexually, as well as the social and religious contexts in which this occurs.  Inevitably, love, sex, and relating take us into the messiness of our humanity – and into wonder and mystery.  I find equal joy in working with LGBTQ and heterosexual folks.

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Illness, disability, death, mourning.  The sudden death of a close friend at 26, and later my deep involvement in AIDS ministry during the 1980s, drew me into a confrontation with mortality and its consequences, and my own aging assures it an ongoing place in my practice.

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Mentoring of younger professionals.  I see many clergy and mental health clinicians – my two realms of professional practice – and find this work especially gratifying.   Sometimes our work is deeply personal, as we explore personal growth; other times quite practical, as we pursue the unique challenges of each vocation.  

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A few other things that may be helpful to know:

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1.  have been practicing since 1987, so I may not be your man if you are seeking a young, whippersnapper of a therapist, determined to use the latest technique or recently-invented therapy because it’s-new-and-so-it-must-be-better.  Although I know many of these therapies well because I’ve taught them to grad students, I am more interested in relationally-focused depth work because research is beginning to show this is what produces lasting change.
    

2. I am now in my 70s and I practice a bit less than full time.  my practice often is full.  Still, I’ve no plans to retire anytime soon.  If you feel drawn to work with me and have some flexibility about when you begin, I encourage you to contact me.  We can have a conversation and figure out what makes sense for you.
    

3. Regarding insurance and fees, I soon will be an out-of-network provider for all insurers.  Plans vary in what they pay for out of network services, so you will need to contact your insurer if you want to use insurance to pay for part of your therapy.  For those unable to afford the full cost of therapy, I make a practice of reserving some "sliding scale" hours each week and I’ll be happy to let you know if one of these is available.  I know therapy can be expensive, and fee setting is art more than science.