I. Assessment
 

Therapy always starts with a thorough assessment to determine the causes of problems. Causes generally fall into three areas. Biological causes include genetic and inherited factors. Psychological causes include difficulties in relationships with family and peers. Social causes can include factors such as economic downturns, lack of resources, or discrimination.
 

II. Using Researched Interventions

Whenever possible, I use research-proven methods. Research has helped clearly identify the most effective interventions for certain problems. I won’t waste your time and money with ineffective or discredited methods. Interventions I may use are as follows:
 

Cognitive therapy changes unhelpful or mistaken beliefs. For example, a mistaken belief occurs if a child thinks that if a few classmates dislike him, then all his classmates dislike him. Or suppose a wife asks her husband to spend more time with her. If he interprets her request purely as criticism of him -- instead of as a sign she that misses him -- that is a mistaken belief. 
 

Relationship/psychodynamic therapy focuses on improving relationships with others and looks at relational patterns that may repeat over time. For example, take a man who, as a child, had attend to emotionally needy parents. As an adult, he may may end up dating emotionally needy women and taking on that same care-taking role.
 

Behavioral therapy involves teaching new behaviors (for example, having a couple learn better communication techniques), using rewards and consequences (for example, helping motivate a child by offering rewards for completed chores), and changing the environment to support effective functioning (for example, making sure a child with ADHD sits far away from a very talkative classmate).
 

Solution-focused therapy uses techniques designed to solve problems as simply and quickly as possible. This form of therapy primarily asks clients to do something different (in some cases, anything different) to break out of old patterns. Often, humor and creativity are used to achieve this goal.
 

Structured play therapy helps very young, less verbal children (ages 3-5) express feelings and thoughts through play versus words.
 

Sensory-integration techniques involve the use of both invigorating and soothing stimuli to help children stay calm, alert, and comfortable.
 

III. The Client-Therapist Relationship
 

I enjoy what I do! I am very relaxed and flexible and I focus on progress and solutions. I use a very down-to-earth approach -- I give a lot of simple and practical suggestions for what you can do to change. I use very little "psychobabble."
 

IV. Therapist Behaviors I Like To Avoid
 

Here's a brief list of classic therapist behaviors that I don't like. I can promise you I won't do the following:
 

1. I won't require you to give me 24 hours notice to cancel. Things happen! If you need to cancel the same day as our session, no problem. (As busy as we all are, it's an accomplishment that people even arrive for the appointment!).

2. I won't answer a question with a question. You have a question? I'll give you an answer.
 

3. I will not require you to come to a session if it's a matter we can solve with a brief phone call.
 

4. I will not be serious and solemn all the time. There is room for fun and humor in sessions.
 

5. I will not act like a haughty know-it-all. I'm a regular human being, same as you. I respect the wisdom and feedback people bring to therapy.
 

6. I will not be rigid about what interventions we use. Instead, I will give you a lot of different ideas and let you pick the ones you'd like to try. If I make a suggestion and you don't like it? No problem, we can try something else.
 

7. I will not let therapy be an endless, unstructured exercise that takes forever. The goal is to make progress in the least amount of sessions possible. You should generally see progress within five-seven sessions, and sometimes even one-two sessions can result in a helpful change.