I have been in private practice for 30 years. During my PhD program (in the mid 90s) my best friend and study buddy was a gay man. My close association with him began my journey into understanding the plight of LGBTQ+ people. I have continued to learn from books, articles, and CEU workshops, but most significantly from my office mates and clients’ experiences.

My focus for healing is unconditional self acceptance. That is the focus for all my clients, but the early and ongoing trauma experienced in the LGBTQ+ community is virtually universal and often rooted in the soul. My focus for therapy is healing the trauma, dealing with the ongoing prejudice, and most importantly changing the belief that God rejects you as an abomination.

There are unique challenges for LGBTQ+ couples. Helping couples build healthy relationships includes intimacy enhancing communication skills, healthy boundary setting, resolving fear of confrontation, and conflict resolution strategies. It all begins with self respect, respect for partner, trust, and believing that both want the best for each other and the relationship.

Types of therapy: My own Clarity Key@ Method, informed by Adlerian, Jungian, CBT, psychodynamic, motivational interviewing, Transactional Analysis, Thought Field Therapy, Yoga philosophy and psychology.