“I am passionate about facilitating healing and self awareness with my clients. As a clinical social worker for over 25 years, I see it as an art and a science to work with people on healing their pain and problems.  The art is listening and helping them to figure out what influences have affected them to be in their currect situation which often is not as simple to figure out as one may think.  The science is with the therapies I offer to aide in the healing process. There is an art to the application of the therapies I use as well. The therapies I most often use to help clients achieve their goals include Developmental, Psychodynamic, Internal Family Systems, Cognitive Behavioral, EMDR, Brief Solution Focused, Emotional Freedom Technique, Dream Analysis, and Education."

Special Interests

Anxiety, Depression, Relationship issues, Marital counseling, Divorce deliberation, Stress reduction, Conflict resolution, Grief/Loss, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Life transitions, Life education, Substanceabuse, and Gambling problems

Experience

• Therapist, Child & Family Psychological Services, 1996-present
• Family Counselor, Family & Children Services, Battle Creek, MI
• Older Adult Therapist, Senior Services, Kalamazoo, MI
• Medical Social Worker, Barry County Health Department, Hastings, MI
• Part-time Faculty, School of Social Work, Western Michigan University

Education

• M.S.W. , Social Treatment, Western Michigan University, 1983
• B.S., Social Work & Sociology, Western Michigan University, 1979

Certifications

• Certified Social Worker, May 1983
• Academy of Certified Social Workers, National Association of Social Workers, 1985
• EMDR, Level II, Chicago, IL, June & November, 1994
• Specialty Certificate, Alcohol & Drug Abuse, Western Michigan University, 1992
• Certified Advanced Addicitions Counselor
• Internationally Certified Advanced Addicitions Counselor
• Fundamentals of Substance Abuse Counseling Examination, OSAS Certification, 1991