Experience
I have been practicing therapy for many years,
mostly in Connecticut before moving to Portland a
few years ago. Through the years I have found
that there are lots of therapeutic tools in the
counselor’s bag, but the one that I like best has
been HUMOR as a therapeutic tool. Feeling joy
and laughter actually changes our brain chemistry,
making us feel better. I try to use humor wherever I
can, as I naturally seem to find it in life. I lead a
depression group and have led domestic violence
groups in the past—maybe not places one would
normally think would be humorous venues-- but
these have proven to be groups of much laughter—
laughter is infectious and leads to feeling better,
and feeling better leads to changing behaviors.
I enjoy working with individuals, as the intensity of
the connection between therapist and client is in
these relationships. But I also enjoy couple’s
counseling, and have done this work for years. I’ve
worked with almost every type of couple and every
type of couple’s issue—gay, straight, trans-
gendered, and with couples from differing
racial/ethnic backgrounds. As you might guess, the
ability to recognize the humor in arguments that
couples have can be very beneficial to them in
changing their communication patterns.
I have a BA degree from the University of
Washington—I taught secondary school, English, in
a former life. My master’s is in Counseling from
Central Connecticut State University. I was licensed
as a counselor in Connecticut, and now in Oregon.
I worked for domestic violence shelters doing
counseling and group work. I was a drug and
alcohol counselor in a hospital out-patient clinic. I
worked for many years in a community hospital as a
Social Services Counselor, doing general hospital
social work, including work with Aids patients,
maternity patients, child abuse, domestic violence,
parenting education, drug and alcohol issues,
elderly issues and a host of other social problems.
I had a private practice in Connecticut while working
for the hospital.
Currently I have a private practice in Portland and
also work in a community mental health clinic, as
well. In the mental health clinic I counsel severally
mentally ill patients, most of whom have psychotic
disorders, mood disorders or anxiety. At the clinic I
also facilitate a depression group. I’m not really a
hundred years old!
mostly in Connecticut before moving to Portland a
few years ago. Through the years I have found
that there are lots of therapeutic tools in the
counselor’s bag, but the one that I like best has
been HUMOR as a therapeutic tool. Feeling joy
and laughter actually changes our brain chemistry,
making us feel better. I try to use humor wherever I
can, as I naturally seem to find it in life. I lead a
depression group and have led domestic violence
groups in the past—maybe not places one would
normally think would be humorous venues-- but
these have proven to be groups of much laughter—
laughter is infectious and leads to feeling better,
and feeling better leads to changing behaviors.
I enjoy working with individuals, as the intensity of
the connection between therapist and client is in
these relationships. But I also enjoy couple’s
counseling, and have done this work for years. I’ve
worked with almost every type of couple and every
type of couple’s issue—gay, straight, trans-
gendered, and with couples from differing
racial/ethnic backgrounds. As you might guess, the
ability to recognize the humor in arguments that
couples have can be very beneficial to them in
changing their communication patterns.
I have a BA degree from the University of
Washington—I taught secondary school, English, in
a former life. My master’s is in Counseling from
Central Connecticut State University. I was licensed
as a counselor in Connecticut, and now in Oregon.
I worked for domestic violence shelters doing
counseling and group work. I was a drug and
alcohol counselor in a hospital out-patient clinic. I
worked for many years in a community hospital as a
Social Services Counselor, doing general hospital
social work, including work with Aids patients,
maternity patients, child abuse, domestic violence,
parenting education, drug and alcohol issues,
elderly issues and a host of other social problems.
I had a private practice in Connecticut while working
for the hospital.
Currently I have a private practice in Portland and
also work in a community mental health clinic, as
well. In the mental health clinic I counsel severally
mentally ill patients, most of whom have psychotic
disorders, mood disorders or anxiety. At the clinic I
also facilitate a depression group. I’m not really a
hundred years old!
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