My work as a counselor is heavily influenced by my training with the late Dr. David Schnarch, who taught me, among other things, the importance of bringing one's whole self to relationships and being willing to risk conflict by doing so. My work is also influenced by my clients, as they have taught me a lot about what is helpful and what is not, and by my own life experiences (particularly, my mistakes). I have a pragmatic approach to therapy and am not wed to a particular step by step program or plan. My role is not to tell people what to do or to give advice. My job is to help people grow -- to become more confident, mor honest, more aware of themselves, better at expressing themselves, better at setting boundaries and better at handling conflict and difficult emotions. My goal is that people leave counseling equipped to manage their own lives and relationships.

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About Me

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I'm from a small town in West Michigan and grew up in a working class family. I have a Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology. After grad school, I lived and worked in Chicago for a year before returning to the Grand Rapids area. Most of my training and experience over the past decade is in working with couples and in helping people with relationship issues. 

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