I have placed an emphasis on using creativity as a way of helping people to gain access to their strengths and I have worked as an artist and a writer, myself, for the same reason. I am now living in Simcoe County and I am excited about working with people from Barrie and the surrounding community.
I earned a B.A. in literature from Bennington College in 1972 and a Masters degree in Social Work from the University of Michigan in 1975. In the intervening years, I worked in Ontario family services and then opened a private practice in Toronto. I continued my education by taking courses in Gestalt therapy, Bioenergetics, Jungian psychology, music therapy, and mandala and art therapy to name some of the highlights of my education.
I developed an interest in psychology at an early age while, as many people with troubled backgrounds do, attempting to understand myself and my family. I discovered I loved the process involved in doing so and that the insight I gained could be helpful to contact people.
Long before I became engaged in the practice of psychotherapy, I worked at a suicide prevention center, a community center for troubled youth, and as an adjunct worker for an adolescent group home. From this, I gained one of my central beliefs as a psychcotherapist – that it is possible to take one’s most painful problems like having a troubled background and turn it into an asset like having a deeper understanding of other people that, in my case, led me into one of the most fulfilling careers I can imagine. Basically, that is what I intend to do for you, to help you accept your weaknesses and use them as strengths.
My way of working is to get to know you: your aspirations, your talents, your difficulties, your unique way of thinking and expressing yourself. Then together, we figure out what will work best for you. Over the years, I have learned many systems of psychological thought and many techniques, but each person is different, and I strongly believe that the method must be adapted to the needs of each individual.
Some people need short term problem-solving counseling. Others need a longer period of learning about themselves in a supportive environment. Some people benefit from couples or family or group therapy. Others really need to differentiate themselves from the groups of which they are members and find themselves as individuals.I invite you to contact me by phone or email and I look forward to working with you.