If you’re reading this, congratulations on taking the first step toward living a more meaningful, fulfilling life. We all get stuck sometimes and I am no exception. From an early age, I found myself plagued by debilitating anxiety, depression, and a lot of unhelpful coping mechanisms which resulted in loneliness and relational problems with family, friends, and romantic partners alike. The idea of therapy was a terrifying prospect to me when I entered into it. Baring my soul to a stranger did not sound appealing, but I knew I would have to take some sort of action to address the negative impact of these challenges on my life. I decided to begin therapy as a way of taking more control over my path. Years later, I have developed an arsenal of coping skills and have become much more present in my life and no longer paralyzed by my emotions. I hope I can help you achieve a similar goal.

In addition to a psychotherapist, I am a cis-gendered man and an open and unapologetic member of the LGBTQIA+ community. I am LGBTQIA+ and Trans affirming and while I enjoy working with people from all walks of life – religions, ages, and genders – I have a special place in my heart for the elderly and fellow members of the LGQTQIA+ community. My goal is to provide a safe and judgement-free space for anyone age 16+ to process and unpack a variety of life challenges.
I am a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and have been trained in cognitive-behavioral therapy, solutions-focused therapy, mindfulness-based therapy and trauma-informed CBT. I am a certified financial social worker, certified case manager, and use a varied and person-centered approach to therapy depending on the needs of my clients. There are a lot of facts about life we cannot easily change, whether it be life circumstances such as poverty or a permanent loss and the resulting grief. In those situations, I see no reason to gaslight ourselves into feeling better. What if we could make space for those feelings, hold them more tenderly, and change our relationship with those feelings to give them less power over us in our daily lives?

My primary approach is a modality known as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Experts make the case that ACT builds on the idea that illness, pain, disappointment, grief, and anxiety inevitably occur as part of human life. The goal in therapy is to help a client become more psychologically flexible to address these challenges instead of trying to suppress or eliminate them, making them worse in the long run. ACT involves the use of a combination of acceptance and mindfulness strategies:
• Acceptance: Acceptance strategies intend to help a person welcome and have an open attitude toward their emotions and thoughts. The goal of acceptance-based strategies is not to change a person’s emotions or control them but to make space for them as they are and hold them more tenderly as to diminish their power.
• Mindfulness: Mindfulness involves focusing on the here and now (which is the only time we have any control at all) and observing thoughts and feelings without judgments. The goal of mindfulness is to connect with the world around us in the moment.

I want to underline the importance of therapist-client fit, as this can make or break the usefulness of therapy. If you’ve read this far and haven’t rolled your eyes too many times (and if you have – you might be the perfect client for me), please feel free to reach out to me and let’s see if I’m a good fit for what you might need in a therapist. Are you someone struggling with your sexual orientation or identity? Are you a parent or friend/family member of someone who has just come out as LGBTQIA and you need a place to process? This is a safe space for you. If you are struggling with something I am happy to help you work through the issue from a compassionate place. All the love and good vibes to you on your journey of healing and growth.