I’m licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and have a PhD in American Studies. I’m also a writer and clinical professor of psychiatry. I am on the faculty at Texas A&M Medical School’s department of humanities in medicine (Round Rock campus) and teach couples therapy at the Steve Hicks School of Social Work at The University of Texas at Austin. I’ve taught courses on American counseling, history, culture, and psychology at UT Austin, Southwestern University, and Mount Holyoke College.

As a psychotherapist, I work with couples and individuals, particularly those dealing with relationship problems, anxiety, and periods of high stress. The couples I see are diverse in their ages, life circumstances, and interpersonal styles, and I’m welcoming of high conflict couples.

I’m committed to developing a close, working relationship with clients. I believe humor, openness, and directiveness all serve this goal. My strength is in balancing assertiveness and directness with empathy and support.

My theoretical approach is integrative, combining aspects of Systemic Therapy (focused on roles and interactional patterns), Gestalt (a holistic approach focused on present experience), Cognitive-Behavioral (an approach focused on thoughts and behavior), and Emotionally-Focused Therapy (a couple-based approach to connection). 

I tend to view problems as occurring when we get stuck using ineffective solutions to problems, relying on outdated coping styles, and repeating patterns that make problems worse rather than better. Change is possible when we learn to disrupt these patterns, creating the possibility for more satisfying interactions, deeper connection, and greater fulfillment.