I primarily work with people who have histories of early relational trauma (childhood neglect & abuse) that fracture one’s trust and confidence in the safety of the world, in the goodness of others, and in one’s own inherent value, which all too frequently get repeated and reproduced in later relationships. People with these histories frequently suffer from symptoms of depression and/or anxiety disorders, behavioral problems like eating or substance use disorders, or personality disorders including borderline personality disorder and dissociative identity disorder. Pathological narcissism is my specialty as is working with those who are partners/ex-partners and adult children of narcissists. 

Trained as a psychoanalyst, I use psychoanalytic psychotherapy – perhaps better termed “depth psychotherapy” – to go beyond merely providing support or skills training to:

• Address the meaning and root causes of people’s symptoms;

• Explore how people tick internally (e.g., unconscious thoughts, feelings, memories, defense mechanisms);

• Help people work through recurring relational themes that invariably play out in real-time with the therapist;

• Liberate people from repetitive and painful patterns that interfere with feeling gratified, connected, and alive;

• Facilitate lasting change through greater self-awareness, self-acceptance, personal agency, and resiliency.

I make medication recommendations when I believe they could be helpful to the treatment.

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In addition to my private practice, I am a Consultant and Analyst to Candidates at the Seattle Psychoanalytic Society and Institute and a clinical instructor in the Dept of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine Sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine. I have conducted and published multiple clinical and public health studies in the past and I am the author of several first-person narratives including the book Brothel: Mustang Ranch and Its Women.

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