Emotionally abusive relationships: For people who seem to get into the same bad relationship over and over again, or who just can’t get out of one, it often helps to understand old unresolved emotional issues that are being enacted in the present.  The relationships may be verbally or emotionally abuse, neglectful, involve a partner with a substance abuse problem or one who is repeatedly unfaithful- what is noteworthy is their repeating pattern and the extreme difficulty in leaving them.

Trauma work: I have a longstanding interest in working with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) whether it comes as a result of exposure to a violent, cruel, or alcoholic parent, early traumatic bereavement, childhood sexual abuse, recent trauma such as a car accident, 9/11, combat, rape or being the witness to or victim of violent crime.  The biological complications of such a shock to the system, which include insomnia, mood instability and certain types of flashbacks only add to the psychological damage done.  Having worked with a wide variety of PTSD patients I am very familiar with the extreme range of emotions that can be triggered in these people and the wide array of skills needed to treat them.

Depression/Bipolar illness:  My 15 years in research gave me a grounding in doing diagnostic assessments as well as a fairly thorough understanding of the uses of psychiatric medications.  As a result I am quite comfortable working with these conditions and distinguishing them from general sadness or “bad” moods.  I recognize what an adjustment it can be just to acknowledge having a depressive illness to oneself and close friends and/or family.

Shame: Over the years I have become ever more aware of the all too frequent presence of shame in the lives of the people that I work with.  I have come to see shame as a clever foe, one that insidiously creeps in and is very hard to root out.  It can come disguised as fairness or justice and becomes an inner voice that constantly criticizes and harshly judges.  Ultimately shame leads to paralysis, avoidance, or lashing out at others defensively.  Whatever form it takes it causes nothing but misery. I work to help people differentiate shame from healthy guilt or responsibility and move past it- no simple task.

I do not work with current substance dependence/abuse problems but will work with someone who has been sober or clean for at least six months outside of a treatment facility.