I don’t tend to focus on one approach to work for everyone but, if I had to choose an approach to start with, I would say that it was the cognitive-behavioral approach.  Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on helping people to understand how their thoughts and feelings influence their behavior.  The main goal of therapy or treatment is to change or eliminate unhealthy thought patterns and behaviors in order to improve a person’s overall emotional state.  My goal is not to make my clients dependent on me but rather to teach them how to recognize these patterns as soon as they start and to have the necessary skills needed to stop them.  I rarely see clients for extended periods of time.  I am usually able to accomplish a great deal in a few sessions.​

 

While my education speaks for itself, it is my life experiences that have taught me the most.  As a parent of two adopted children with ADHD, I understand the struggle parents face in trying to ensure that their children have the needed resources to succeed academically and the pain felt when they experience failure despite our efforts. With ten years’ experience as both a regular and special education teacher, I also understand the difficulties teachers face in trying to help children who struggle.  While the approach we use as psychologists is important, I feel it is our ability to empathize with others that really makes the difference.