My work experience as a Registered Nurse in both Critical Care and Psychiatric Care, coupled with my education and experience as a doctorate-level counselor, provide my clients a unique perspective. I encompass both the medical and psychological areas of mental health. My ultimate goal has been to provide these professional skills for my clients in a safe and empathetic environment so they can obtain their optimal level of personal, interpersonal and family functioning.  

My counseling focus is in the following areas:

• Individual adults:  depression, anxiety, abused in childhood
  
• Children
  
• Traumatized children and adults
  
• Adolescents
  
• Parenting issues
  
• Marital difficulties
  
• Divorce adjustment
  
• Grief and Loss issues
  
• Family problems including step-families
  

With regard to counseling techniques, I employ an array of techniques that are tailored to meet my client’s needs. Some of these include:

• Cognitive-Behavioral -- examining beliefs that cause the behaviors
  
• Psychosynthesis -- guided imagery, connecting to spiritual parts of ourselves for understanding and healing, working with conflicting parts of ourselves
  
• Art Therapy -- expression of feelings through art
  
• Gestalt --  “I” messages, dealing with the here and now
  
• Adlerian -- all behavior holds a positive intention and are meant to fulfill a need, unconscious goals, faulty beliefs, birth order, positive disciple and logical consequences
  

In addition to three decades of professional training and experience, I have found that 50-some years of life experiences can be helpful. I have been happily married for more than a quarter of a century and have raised two respectful, caring daughters both of whom have graduated from college.

I have the following degrees:

• R.N. degree from St. Anthony’s School of Nursing in Rock Island, Illinois
  
• B.S. in Psychology from the University of Dubuque, Dubuque, Iowa.
  
• Masters of Science in Counseling from California State University, Sacramento, California.
  
• Ph.D. from The Union Institute in Cincinnati, Ohio.
  

I currently work out of the Littleton counseling office only.