CLINICAL ORIENTATION

My counseling approach is grounded in a humanistic perspective. I appreciate the complexity and uniqueness of each person. I believe that all people are essentially good and deserve a dignified life. My respect for the human person compels me to build trusting relationships with clients based on unconditional positive regard and a belief that individuals are capable of being resilient and finding meaning in their lives.

As a counselor, I strive to be multicultural competent. With clients, I am open to consider and explore systemic inequalities and multilevel psychological risk factors, cultural protective factors, salient developmental and diversity issues that may include concerns related to race, class, ethnicity, and gender.

CLINICAL INTERESTS

Men's Mental Health

Of all individuals that seek counseling services, only an estimated 1/3 are men. Yet, men face very difficult challenges such as career stress, restrictive masculine gender norms, adjustment to new family roles, and maintaining healthy relationships with friends, family members, and partners.

I strive to connect my research interests with my clinical practice in order to improve men’s health and well-being. To learn more about men's help-seeking behaviors and counseling techniques with men, View

College-aged men are particularly vulnerable to risky health behaviors. The attached report is a study of men’s health at Lake Forest College and was presented to the department of Student Affairs at Lake Forest College. View

Community Outreach

Many people do not come into a counselor's office. The reasons include (but not limited to) social stigma, feeling ashamed, denying a problem, feeling capable of "gutting it out", not trusting mental health providers, inconvenient office hours, no transportation, or lack of resources.

Meeting people where they are at
I have a great passion for reaching out to people who may not otherwise seek counseling services, such as:

• Men
• Low-income individuals
• Racially and ethnically diverse groups

Sample Interventions

1. Psycho-educational workshops conducted at elementary and high schools.
2. Educational newsletters about mental health and parenting (See attachment for a newsletter sent to high school parents).
3. Educational hand-outs that "bust" common myths held by college students about counseling.