My Approach to Helping
I'm available for video conferencing on Zoom or Facetime during the COVID-19 crisis. I'll help you find calm, balance, and meaning. I'll make you a relaxation recording you can download and listen to at your convenience.
"How will you be different when we say good-bye at the end of our work?" I ask my new clients. We\'ll build on the strengths you already have and the skills that have helped you so far with this problem. You'll describe a time in the past when you mastered a problem or reached a goal you thought was impossible, and we will mine this memory for all it's worth. You'll also tell me which burdens will be lifted, and what will give you the most joy, meaning and satisfaction. What will you be capable of doing that you can\'t do yet?"
I don't feel daunted by your problem, because I can imagine you happy, and intuit which therapeutic approaches might help you. Having conducted psychotherapy/hypnotherapy for 35 + years, and experienced my own breakthroughs during meditation, creative writing, and psychotherapy, I know how much we are all capable of changing through authentic dialogue, creativity, and humor.
As author of The Baby Decision (2nd edition, July 2016 paperback and e-book), a contributor to Our Bodies Ourselves, 2005, and former National Clinical Director of Resolve, I have a wealth of experience to help you decide to parent or remain childfree or how to cope with infertility or miscarriage. I can also help you decide among alternatives such as adoption, donor egg or sperm ,or surrogacy,
I love the powerful moments when, in silence or conversation, you make exciting discoveries and open to your new life, and we sit in awe of your own mind\'s wisdom.
More Info About My Practice
Please contact me to talk about fees, insurance and discount information. I take indemnity insurance, PPO's, Blue Cross/Blue Shield. My regular fees are $150 for individual sessions, $160 for couple and family sessions, $200 for coaching and consultation. First session fees are $160 for individuals, $170 for couples and family. My couple and family work is restricted to brief therapy for parenthood decision-making, fertility and adoption issues, or adaptation to illness or chronic pain. I do not do marital or family therapy otherwise, but refer my clients to specialists in that area.
Are you eager to read The Baby Decision: How to Make the Most Important Choice of your Life? The revised second edition will be available on Amazon July, 2016 in paperback and on kindle. Until then you can get the first edition on Amazon or at your public library.
Specific Issue(s) I'm Skilled at Helping With
Fertility and parenthood decision-making issues and planning for the transition to parenthood. I am the author of THE BABY DECISION, a contributor to OUR BODIES OURSELVES, and the former director of RESOLVE, the national infertility association. I am also a GoodTherapy topic expert for fertility issues.
My Role as a Therapist
In working with couples trying to decide whether or not to have children, working on becoming parents through fertility treatment or adoption, I reduce couple stress by teaching new ways of relieving stress, offer guidelines for constructive loving communication with humor and respect, and give self-exploration exercises and advice on decision-making and adapting to pregnanyparenting or to a childfree choice.
My Therapy Focus
I love the creative collaboration and intimacy of working together to lead you to freedom and peace of mind.
How My Own Struggles Made Me a Better Therapist
My own anxiety and physical tension as a young adult led to my growth through psychotherapy, meditation,relaxation training, and yoga. Experiencing emotional freedom as I got my training, married, had children, and wrote and published gives me firsthand knowledge of our great capacity for change.
