About
Clinical Experience
For over 20 years I have provided specialized assessment, counseling, training and consultation services in the states of Arizona, Connecticut and California. I am a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) and professional clinical counselor (LPCC) in California, a licensed professional counselor (LPC) in Arizona and a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC) through the National Board for Certified Counselors. I believe my clients benefit from the diverse professional experiences I have had over the years, having provided services in private practice, community mental health, school, correctional, residential treatment and university counseling settings. Some reasons why clients choose to work with me are:
- I have extensive experience working with individuals and their families who are dealing with mental health concerns like depression, anxiety, trauma and addiction. I am trained in and use several different evidence-based types of therapy with clients…ultimately the one we choose is the one we agree will work best for your situation.
- Although my clients range in age from 12-70, I have extensive experience working with of high school and university aged clients (and their parents). I’ve held clinical and leadership roles at several universities throughout my career and often help families navigate those internal systems of care, as well as how to help students transition out of and back into school settings after a mental health crisis.
- My training and expertise in crisis management is one of the reasons I am often sought out by families. Families often find me through previous clients who I’ve worked with through a mental health, addiction or family crisis.
- I often partner with attorneys and others involved in forensic mental health settings to provide services to those struggling with legal concerns. I have directed forensic mental health programs for teens and adults who have engaged in acts of violence or inappropriate sexual behavior.
- I have a special interest in helping men/ adolescent boys with the therapy process. Culture has often told them that therapy isn’t OK. I create an environment where my male clients feel empowered, where work together to create a relationship that’s safe, challenging and strength-focused.
Training, Teaching and Consulting/ Executive Coaching
Another core component of my professional life are the consultation and training services I provide to other professionals, students and paraprofessionals. I enjoy the process of training new and experienced professionals and hopefully helping them become more effective in their clinical work. I have conducted well over 100 trainings locally and nationally for professionals in the fields of mental health, higher education, community corrections, and clergy. I serve as a regular adjunct professor in the Graduate School of Education and Psychology at Pepperdine University where I have taught courses on Substance Abuse and Forensic Psychology. I also regularly work with companies, schools and universities as a consultant and executive coach. For more information about my executive coaching services click here
Research and Writing
I have co-authored several professional publications in the fields of addiction, the psychology or men and working with mandated clients. The book, Engaging Resistance, Creating Partnerships for Change in Sex Offender Treatment, that I co-authored with colleague Dr. Charles Flinton continues to be a best-seller at professional conferences and was one of the first works in the forensic mental health field promoting positive approaches to engaging difficult client populations. My interest in men’s mental health led me to also co-author a chapter on motivational interviewing with men in the book A Counselor’s Guide to Working with Men. Most recently, I co-authored an article in the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapist’s (CAMFT) magazine, The Therapist, on disaster mental health, titled When Disaster Strikes a Community Twice in 24 Hours.
Personal
Originally from the Midwest, I graduated with a B.A. in Psychology from Grove City College and a M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Geneva College. I value most my roles as husband and father, as they are the most rewarding relationships of my life. As a former college athlete, I value the positive aspects of exercise and am happiest when hiking a trail, hitting a yellow or white ball or riding bikes with my family.