Treatment Philosophy

Even after 30+ years of work in the field, I remain amazed and reassured by the resilience and determination of people to make the changes they wish to make and begin to live the lives they genuinely desire. It takes strength and hope to reach out to someone for help with a difficulty. I honor that strength by providing a setting that nurtures those assets while simultaneously supporting the desire to change. Because change is sometimes difficult, I provide a setting that helps individuals explore desired outcomes and build new skills in a safe and confidential environment. I genuinely enjoy witnessing the growth that occurs through psychotherapy and understand that changes often continue to occur long after therapy concludes.

The change and growth that transpire are testament to the power of interpersonal relationships. Whether that relationship is therapist-patient, partners or spouses, parent-child, etc., we grow and thrive when our relationships are healthy, including our relationship with ourselves. With this in mind, my understanding of how people change and grow is rooted in systems and interpersonal process theories. Additionally, I appreciate that difficulties are often multifaceted, having socio-cultural, psychological, and biological contributing factors. My work springs from this understanding and experience and incorporates behavioral, cognitive, and dynamic interventions as appropriate. Importantly, although I am not native Hawaiian, my work genuinely appreciates the Hawaiian culture, and I honor and nurture the gifts it has given to me in my life and work.