Counseling Services

I offer professional screening, treatment planning and counseling services to individuals and groups. While I greatly value group treatment, such services are offered on a limited basis and at this time focus primarily on anger management and men's issues. Other individual services include counseling for:

I offer structured crisis services as well as brief interventions on a limited basis as requested.

A few words about "counseling" and "psychotherapy"

There are probably as many definitions to each of these words as there are counselors and therapists who practice in these professions. Germane to what I do here, the term "counseling" was first brought into use by Frank Parsons in 1908 and later adopted by Carl Rogers in response to widespread prejudice in the U.S. against lay therapists and also because he was not then permitted by the psychiatry profession to call himself a psychotherapist. (Click here for a more detailed explanation of Carl Rogers' history and approach to counseling.)

As a professional counselor practicing in the State of Oregon, and though my practice may be construed as "therapeutic," I am prohibited by Oregon Revised Statutes governing how I present and implement my practice from suggesting or explicitly stating that I provide "therapy," "psychotherapy," or referring to myself as a therapist or psychologist (though the broadest definition of the term might include professionals practicing in the counseling field). Though my training in evaluation, assessment and diagnosis of psychiatric and emotional disturbances is extensive, I am likewise prohibited from giving the appearance of or explicitly performing these services. Rather, I may provide screeing services utilizing proven and broadly accepted techniques in order to clarify what we are facing in a therapeutic partnership. Reference to screening, as opposed to evaluation or assessment raises the understandable concern that the evaluative process itself lacks the thoroughness or depth to accurately indicate what it is you are facing. This can be especially problematic when addressing the dual disorders, or co-occuring instances of psychological disturbance and addiction. Please be assured that every effort is made to be as thorough and incisive as possible.

Lastly, though my degree is indeed a Master of Counseling Psychology, suggestions that those of us who hold this advanced degree "practice psychology" is discouraged by the Oregon Board of Psychologist Examiners. If I feel that the services you require fall outside of the state's designated scope of practice for the counseling profession, I will refer you to someone who can assist you with your needs, whatever they may be.