How can therapy help?

          It happens to all of us: we get "stuck" in the ways we think and act.  Sometimes we don't even see we're stuck. Or we
may realize we're going down the wrong road, but not feel able to change course or even know how to find a better one.  We
do the same unhelpful things over and over with the same unhappy result.  Frustration builds.  We lose track of the
destination and find no joy in the journey.  Feeling out of control leads to feeling helpless to change.
         That's where I come in.  I'm the outside consultant with the professional training and life experience to help you spot
where you're taking the wrong turn, identify the tools you already have to tune up your engine, and assist you in reaching the
destination you desire.  I ask you to look at your life's journey and answer the question, "Who's driving?"  You may find that
it's still your parents, or your spouse or partner, or even your children.  It might be what society, your church, or your
neighbors think of you. It might be guilt, fear, or anxiety.  It might be sadness, grief, past trauma, or a heavy burden of
disappointments, losses, or failings.  Or it might be unhealthy habits, unhelpful relationship patterns, or addiction.
         Some things you truly don't have control over: your genetic makeup, the family you were born into, other people's
behavior. Those things are akin to whether you happen to have been born in a luxury car or a donkey cart.  But a large
part--a very large part--of whether your life feels happy and fulfilling, or frustrating and out of control, doesn't depend on the
vehicle.  It depends on you getting back into the driver's seat, placing your hands firmly on the wheel, and consciously
steering toward where you want to go.
          I have a variety of roadmaps to help you get from here to there. I'm not the sort of therapist to sit back silently, only
responding, "uh-huh, I see," while you keep driving in circles in therapy. My clients describe me as kind, honest,
straightforward, and ethical, and we usually find some laughter along the way.  I believe those qualities make me the kind of
person you'd like as your navigator on this roadtrip.   
          Call me.  It's up to you to start the engine.