I have been practicing psychotherapy and couples counseling for over twenty years. I received my master’s degree from the Boston University School of Social Work in 1982 and was licensed as a Clinical Social Worker in 1984. Between 1981 and 1989, I received training in the field of addictive disorders from clinical experts at the Cambridge Hospital and Harvard Community Health Plan. I work extensively with persons with a range of addictions and addictive behaviors.
My sub-specialties in relationship counseling, treatment of anxiety, depression, phobias and trauma also figure prominently in my practice. I see as clients people of many cultures and ethnic backgrounds, and frequently provide relationship counseling to multi-ethnic couples and their family members.
Over the years, I have evolved a therapeutic style that may be characterized as “experiential.” Drawing on psychodynamic and cognitive theory, I focus on the “here and now” while recognizing the implications of earlier life experiences and their impact on my clients’ way of perceiving themselves, their relationships, and the social, work, and family life that make up their environment. I work with my clients to identify and understand unproductive behavioral and interpersonal patterns and develop specific tasks for them to practice in their day-to-day life. These tasks allow them to implement fresh, healthy and more measured responses to life’s issues and challenges. The insights gained during therapy sessions create a roadmap that leads the client into positive actions and life changes. Clients work on their goals between therapeutic contacts, and then review their progress — and their obstacles — in the subsequent session. This method has been particularly effective in couples counseling.
I recognize that individuals lead complex and busy lives and that psychotherapy is best utilized in a concise and focused manner. Therefore, each treatment episode is designed to be as brief as possible, depending upon the issues to be addressed. Sessions may occur in clusters or in an “intensive” format of more than one hour. Some situations are more amenable to treatments of longer duration, such as issues related to abuse and trauma. Clients’ needs are discussed carefully and a mutually agreed-upon treatment plan is developed.
