I was always fascinated by people’s behavior, how they think and understand the world around them. I would agree that many of us, psychological service providers, also want to understand ourselves better as well. In my own journey, I faced a decision to pursue psychology or medicine. At first psychology was the choice because medicine would have taken too long. As it turned out, psychology took just as long. Secondly, I was drawn to the idea of working primarily with words and image, thus – my interest and hypnosis. 

I see the patient’s role as that of collaborator, a partner. We all have within us resources to solve many of our problems. In my role, I bring empathy and technical knowledge, but the patient brings as tools for us to use – their symptoms and experiences. 

My role in our relationship is to be open to the patient’s experience of their symptoms or illness and understand that experience. I apply technical and artistic skills to help the patient to integrate their condition into their life, restoring or resetting a balance in all spheres of life, the biological, psychological, social, and spiritual. 

Health is achieved when there is a balance and interaction between the four spheres mentioned above. My modalities helped this process by demonstrating to the patient that they can influence their health. They learn tools that they can apply to their current problems and elsewhere in their lives and thus experience a sense of mastery. My interests lie in behavioral medicine, wherein most of my patients are struggling with a chronic medical condition as our primary focus or as a secondary focus. I see adults of any age.

Areas of Clinical Focus 

• Health & Medical Psychology
• Chronic illness (Cancer, diabetes, autoimmune related illnesses, functional or somatic symptom disorders, pain acute of chronic, surgical or procedural preparation, IBS, related anxiety and depression), or living with someone medical conditions or situations 
• Procedure preparation (e.g. surgery, childbirth) 
• Psychotherapy
• Life transitions (normal aging, retirement, living with a terminal diagnosis or alteration in body integrity or function, finishing college, retirement, end of life issues, loss of spouse)  
• Anxiety, Depression   
• Performance enhancement 
• Hypnosis 
• Forensic Psychology 
• High risk employment or fitness evaluations and assessments 
• Expert witness or consultant for civil cases. Includes records review, case planning, plaintiff examination, supervision/consultation with other psychologists