Recovering nice guy. Seeker. Sensitive Rebel.

Across more than 20 years and 15,000 hours spent in therapy and coaching conversations with hundreds of clients, there’s something that I’ve come to believe deeply:

The very traits that cause you pain and distress — the overthinking, the sensitivity, the chameleon-like adaptation — aren’t the problem. They’re actually where your power lies. But, like any tool, they're only useful once you know how to use them properly.

If you're like most of my clients, you never got the help and support in learning how to master those tools that you deserved and should have had. 

My mission? Fill in that gap.

The Winding Path

My journey here was anything but linear. I started in IT, focused on a practical, high-demand career where I could make a good living. (So responsible, right?) One minor problem: it felt meaningless. After several years, that not-really-so-minor problem became unbearable, making me wonder what the point (not just of my career, but of my life) was, and sending me on a downward spiral into depression.

My own therapy, combined with a week of vacation spent at a Myers-Briggs certification training in 2000, sparked my journey of transformation. Along the way, there's been a Master's degree, a psychotherapy license, hundreds of hours of continuing education, thousands of hours of work with therapy clients, and eventually, the realization that one of them was right when she said I should market myself as "the least therapist-like therapist ever." 

What does that mean in practice? Well, it depends on the situation, but ultimately it comes down to this: my goal is to work with my clients to determine a plan for working together that fits them, rather than just following some arbitrary standard that isn’t necessarily the right answer for them.

Utimately, my goal is to be a guide or helper for fellow travelers who are struggling in their quest to navigate this crazy world of ours.

What I've Learned

Through my own journey and thousands of conversations with people like us, here are some things I've come to understand:

  • Your sensitivity isn't weakness, it’s power.
    You're picking up on things others miss.

  • The exhaustion you feel isn't just from working so hard.
    It's also from wearing masks for too long.

  • Asking for help doesn't mean you've failed.
    It means you want something better and refuse to stay lost.

  • Your intensity isn't the problem.
    It's power and potential that can make others uncomfortable.

  • Normal was never going to fit you.
    That's a good thing, once you learn to trust and embrace it.

  • The challenge isn't to become someone else. It's to remember who you were before the world told you who you 'should' be – and to become who you’re truly capable of being. 

Beyond the Credentials

Yes, I'm a licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (#MFC43212) in California. Yes, I have the degrees and certifications and tools and all that. Beyond that, though, I've been where you are. I've felt the weight of being both 'too much' and yet not enough. I've lost myself in adapting, avoiding, and overthinking. But, I've also found my way back.

These days, you'll find me in shorts whenever possible, fizzy drink in hand and music in the background, helping my clients to find and embrace their strength without losing their heart.

If you're tired of adapting, exhausted from performing, and ready to find your way back to yourself, let's talk. You can drop me a note or schedule a consultation, whichever you'd prefer.