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Personal Statement

Your decision to engage in counseling is to be appreciated and honored as it often involves vulnerability, courage, and commitment to personal work.It is important that you feel heard, understood, and accepted for who you are and what you have already experienced. I view my role as giving you the support, safety, caring, and respect you deserve while facilitating you doing that for yourself. I will also provide cognitive, emotional, and behavioral models, “tools” and experiences to enhance your self-awareness, self-expression, and self-care and help you learn to trust in your basic goodness and wisdom. Through exploration and enhanced experiences in counseling you will gain insight and clarity, and feel more connected and compassionate with yourself and others. This will allow you to better meet your personal goals, engage in healthier and caring behaviors, and attain greater harmony and balance in your life.

Counseling Experience

• Part-time private practice in Sylva for 30 years with Western Carolina Counseling Services
• Counselor and then Director of Western Carolina University’s Counseling and Psychological Services Center for 31 years until retirement from WCU in 2012
• Previous Counselor positions at county mental health agency, employee assistance program, therapeutic wilderness outing programs, and another university counseling center

Psychotherapy Training

• Intensive training in Cognitive-Behavioral, Internal Family Systems, Psychomotor, and Integrative psychotherapies
• Additional training in Humanistic, Family Systems, Reality Therapy, Psychosynthesis, NLP, Transactional Analysis, Alcohol/Drug Treatment, Mindfulness, Hakomi, Couples, GLBTQ, Crisis Management, Violence Assessment, Male Development, and Group Process

Counseling Services

• I enjoy working with individuals on issues such as depression, anxiety, anger, stress, self-concept, trauma, addictions, loss, abandonment, loneliness, not fitting in, self-criticism, confusion, confidence, coping skills, reactivity, victim/survivor, empowerment, self-destructive behaviors, blaming self/others, guilt/shame, resistance, and self-care
• I enjoy working with couples on personal and relationship issues such as communication, personal boundaries, intimacy/closeness, connecting/belonging, love/nurturance, safety/protection, support, listening/being heard, confrontation/conflict management, equality/respect, and past family histories/attachments
• I enjoy working with older adults on aging issues such as physical illness and limitations, death and dying, loss of parents and friends, increased spiritual awareness, retirement or loss of work identities, “empty nest” or decreased social interaction, “letting go” of past expectations and­­­­ attachments, and developing greater acceptance and trust in oneself and the living process

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Personal Statement

I have been in private practice in Counseling and Psychotherapy for over 35 years. I have continued to study and learn throughout my career. I consider it an honor and am deeply committed to providing the people I work with a safe, healing space for them to grow, learn, and heal. During the years I have chosen to study, in depth, therapy models that have benefited me in my own development. Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Gestalt Therapy, Family Systems Therapy and presently Internal Family Systems are examples of therapies that have become an integrated whole in my present work. Research has shown that independent of the model of therapy employed, the therapist's relationship with the individual, couple, or family is the most important variable in a positive outcome. I encourage you to find a therapist that fits you, someone with whom you are comfortable, makes sense to you, and you feel respected and heard. When someone is new to therapy they can discount their own perceptions and feelings.It is often useful to see several therapists for a session or two to see how they work for you.I encourage questions and openness in a relationship in which you feel “unconditional positive regard” (Rogers, C.) from the therapist. Being in counseling is a journey. It is very important that you feel supported and not judged by the person you are working with.

Counseling/Psychotherapy Experience

• Western Carolina Counseling services PA (full time) 1983-Present
• Western Carolina University Counseling Center 1979-1983
• Smoky Mountain Mental Health Center 1973-1979

Counseling and Psychotherapy Training

• Internal Family Systems: Developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz: http://www.selfleadership.org/ifs-store.html 2002-Present
• Pesso Boyden Systems Psychomotor: http://pbsp.com/ 1986-1999
• Dr. Edwin Freidman: Book Generation to Generation From Bowenian Family Theory
• Dr. Jackie Damgaard http://execucarearc.com/author/jacquie/I studied with Dr. Damgaard before she developed Execucare with her model Integrative Psychotherapy
• Atlanta Institute for Family Therapy: Rational Emotive Therapy, Bowenian Family Therapy
• Psychosynthesis: Poldi Orlanda (deceased) Florida Institute of Gestalt Therapy
• Gestalt: Gertrude Krause (deceased) Florida Institute of Gestalt Therapy

Certifications

• Certified Internal Family Systems Therapist: 2010-2012, 2012-Present
• Certified Pesso Boyden Systems Psychomotor Therapis: t 1999