SUPPORTIVE
My goal, with each client I meet, is to achieve a greater quality of life and ultimately more satisfaction with themselves. With that in mind I continually try to shed light on your successes, your unique and special qualities, and your insights gained in each and every session. My goal is to inspire a positive attitude, hope, and a recognition of the progress one makes when engaging in this valuable process.
COLLABORATIVE
When learning about your reasons for coming and obstacles in your way to achieving your goals, I continually work to assess and identify what is significant to you in determining which direction to take. I often use the metaphor: “We are on a dark path and I have no idea what we will find, what will be valuable along the way, and where we are going. But I have a really good flashlight and can help to illuminate all that is, and may be, out of your view. However only you know which way we need to go and what we will need to take along with us.” Therapy is a process and I can never move forward without you helping to determine the way.
STRATEGIC
As a collaborative Mental Health Professional, I see myself as an engineer of communication and interactions in the group process. I am sensitive to emotional content and relationship dynamics as they inform my recommendations and strategy to help ensure the success of a collaborative process. I work to orchestrate and facilitate effective communication, tolerance and understanding between parties in order to ultimately help partners find unique ways to resolve their differences and dissolve their partnership in a respectful and peaceful manner.
CHALLENGING
Obstacles come in many forms. Every client’s road is different. I maintain a keen view of what potentially can be in your way and work to challenge your skills and insights. I work to foster a greater understanding of the ways to overcome these obstacles in addition to a greater understanding of the need and benefit of doing so.
My Specialties
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- Helping people through the divorce process
- Collaborative Divorce
- Individual Counseling
- Working with teens
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Self-Harming Behavior
- Depression
- Coparenting issues
- Relationship problems
- Low self-esteem
- Depression, and suicidal ideation
- Bipolar Disorders
- Personality Disorders
- Anxiety Disorders
- Trauma
- Self-Harm
- Bullying
- Addiction
- Coaching
- Psychotic Disorders
- Anger problems, abuse, and domestic violence
- Supervising Registered Mental Health Interns
My Education
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- Masters of Science in Mental Health Counseling, Nova Southeastern University 2003
- Internship, Clarke Institute of Psychiatry (Toronto, Ontario) 1999
- Honors Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, University of Western Ontario (London, Ontario) 1999
My Certifications and Training
- Training: PARENTING COORDINATION for PARENTING COORDINATORS, Dec 2022
- Training: Introductory Collaborative Process Training, Nov 2022
- Presenter: Mental Health: Skills For You, Skills For Life! Parents Review, Oct 2022
- Presenter: Mental Health: Skills For You, Skills For Life!, Oct 2022
- Presenter: The Collaborative Process, What You Need To Know and Why, Oct 2022
- Training: Creative Strategies in Developing an Ethical and Profitable Private Practice, Sept 2022
- Presenter: The Collaborative Process, What You Need To Know and Why, June 2022
- Training: 10th Annual Conference of the Florida Academy of Collaborative Professionals, June 2022
- Training: Mosten Guthrie Advanced Collaborative Skills Training, May 2022
- Training: Advanced Training With Woody Mosten, April 2022
- Presenter: DBT Skills Can Change Your Life, Feb 2022
- Training: Gray Divorce, Jan 2022
- Presenter: Understanding the Collaborative Process: Where Mental Health Professionals Fit In, Dec 2021
- Training: It’s All Your Fault! Managing Personality Disorders In and Out of Family Court, Nov 2021
- Presenter: DBT In Private Practice: Skills That Can Change Your Life, Oct 2021
- Presenter: Collaborative Law (Nuts and Bolts Seminar), Oct 2021
- Training: Understanding Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Client Trauma, Oct 2021
- Training: VETTING THE HOUSE IN COLLABORATIVE LAW FOR DIVORCE, April 2021
- Presenter: The Creativity of Collaborative Process: A Roundtable Discussion, April 2021
- Presenter: Cultivating Collaborative Professionals and Preventing the Naysayers, June 2022
- Presenter: Attracting Collaborative Clients and Making Cases, June 2022
- Presenter: Mental Health: What You Need To Know To Be Happier, Oct 2021
- Presenter: Mental Health: What You Need To Know To Be Happier, Parents Review Oct 2021
- Training: 9th Annual Conference of the Florida Academy of Collaborative Professionals, June 2021
- Training: The Grief Summit: Grief Counseling and Treatment in a Pandemic of Loss, April 2021
- Training: Adverse Childhood Experiences, April 2021
- Presenter: Meeting Life’s Transitions: How to Navigate Change With Confidence and Resilience, Feb 2021
- Presenter: Why Litigate, When You Can Collaborate, Dec 2020
- Training: Motivational Interviewing Refresher, Dec 2020
- Credentialed: Accredited Collaborative Professional, Oct 2020
- Training: 8th Annual Conference of the Florida Academy of Collaborative Professionals, Aug 2020
- Presenter: Crushing Conflict Before It Crushes You, Aug 2020
- Training: Access to Collaborative , June 2020
- Presenter: DBT Principles for Mediators, June 2020
- Training: Dialectical Behavior Therapy: Styles and Strategies, presented by Laura Meyers PhD., May 2020
- Training: Collaborative Law Process Act and Collaborative Practice: Exploring Possibilities for Families Struggling with IPV/DV, May 2020
- Training: THE INTERPLAY OF ADVOCACY AND NEUTRALITY, with Victoria Smith and Laurie Stein, March 2020
- Training: Advanced Collaborative Training, January 5th, 2020
- Training: Advanced Collaborative Training, January 5th, 2020
- Training: FACP Leadership Institute Retreat, September 2019
- Training: 7th Annual Conference of the Florida Academy of Collaborative Professionals, May 2019
- Training: Advanced Collaborative Training, January 2019
- Training: IMPROV SKILLS FOR THERAPISTS, Sept 2018
- Training: 6th Annual Conference of the Florida Academy of Collaborative Professionals, May 2018
- Training: DBT Skills Training, 8-week online program, February 2018.
- Training: Court Summit: Trauma Informed Care, Nov 2017
- Training: 5th Annual Conference of the Florida Academy of Collaborative Professionals, June 2017
- Training: Toxic Parenting: Parental Estrangement/Alienation: A Systematic Approach To Reunification Therapy, May 2017
- Training: Advanced Collaborative Training, January 2017.
- Training: Gottman Level 2: Assessment, Intervention and Co-Morbidities, July 14-22 2016.
- Training: 4th Annual Conference of the Florida Academy of Collaborative Professionals, May 2016
- Training: Gottman Level 1: Bridging the Couple Chasm, January 29-30 2016.
- Certification: Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator as of December 2015
- Training: 3rd Annual Conference of the Collaborative Family Law Council of Florida 2015
- Certified Family Mediation Training Course, completed February 2015
- Training: Parenting Coordination Course, completed January 2015
- Training: Interdisciplinary Collaborative Divorce Training, completed December 2014
- Training: 2nd Annual Conference of the Collaborative Family Law Council of Florida 2014
- Training: Inaugural Collaborative Family Law Conference 2013
- Certification: National Board Certified Counselor, certified on April 30th 2010
- Certification: “Qualified Supervisor” for Mental Health Counselors, certified in 2009
- Certification: Motivational Interviewing: Certificate in meeting MIA-STEP Standards on April, 23rd 2007
- Licensed: with the State of Florida as a Mental Health Counselor on Dec., 15th 2006
- Training: Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Completed Ten-Day Intensive Training on Feb., 19th 2004
My Memberships
Insurance
I am an “out of network provider” for all insurance companies. Depending on your current health insurance provider or employee benefit plan, it is possible for services to be covered in full or in part. In this case, I can provide you with a “superbill,” which can be used to process claims for our visits. Please contact your provider to verify how your plan compensates you for psychotherapy services.
I’d recommend asking these questions to your insurance provider to help determine your benefits:
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- Does my health insurance plan include mental health benefits?
- Do I have out of network benefits? If so, what are they?
- Do I have a deductible? If so, what is it and have I met it yet?
- Does my plan limit how many sessions per calendar year I can have? If so, what is the limit?
- Do I need written approval from my primary care physician in order for services to be covered?
Questions
Please contact me for any additional questions you may have. I look forward to hearing from you!
