Brief Biography
I grew up the oldest of three children, roaming the fields, woods and waters around the small and traditional town of Zeeland, Michigan. Our parents valued education in school and church, and they modeled a life of service to others as one’s greatest calling. After graduating from Calvin College in 1977 with a degree in psychology, I left West Michigan for my graduate education at the University of Kansas. With a Ph.D. in Counseling conferred in 1985, I began cultivating my practice of psychotherapy, psychological evaluation, and in time psychoanalysis. After seven years of working at two psychiatric hospitals, much of that with young adolescents, I began full time private practice in 1991 at my current location. My dedication has always been to help my patients more deeply understand their symptoms and themselves and to live more authentically with self and with others. In 2005, I completed my education as a psychoanalyst with the Greater Kansas City Psychoanalytic Institute where I am currently a training analyst, faculty member and chairperson of the Admissions Committee. My wife and I reside in Prairie Village, KS; and in my leisure time, I like to read and learn widely, walk around or ride my bicycle, and explore the natural world with our bright and curious granddaughter.
Introduction to my Practice
Because of my training and experience, many of my patients who have not received full benefit from previous therapies are able to make significant progress at achieving elusive life goals. In order to manage and modify pervasive symptoms of anxiety and depression, to overcome debilitating and shameful addictions, and to understand and grieve painful and disturbing traumas, psychotherapy must be sufficiently intensive and extensive. While most patients come weekly, some people benefit from multiple sessions per week to meet important goals. A rule of thumb with my practice is that the work is usually longer than shorter and harder than easier. The commitment and expense of the process is tolerable because my patients often see important progress over time. While I am not a physician, I do pay careful attention to established and emerging medical conditions, and I encourage routine medical care and specialty referrals, including psychiatry, as indicated. Psychotherapy works effectively with many complimentary treatments, and I value a wide range of strategies to facilitate healing and growth, including group and family therapy, behavior and habit management, exercise and nutrition, art and play therapy, and the full spectrum of AA-based groups. For some patients, spiritual questions and struggles are a central component on their psychological journey toward healing and growth.
I encourage you to review my curriculum vitae and the several professional links as a way of further understanding my training and practice and the fields of psychology and psychoanalysis. It is my high honor and privilege to establish helpful and healing relationships with people who are suffering and questioning themselves and their place in life.