I believe that people can change. It’s not a simple process, it hurts like hell, and it costs a lot (time, energy, and money), but, with great investment and effort, change can be a revolution of thought, feeling, and behavior. I work with clients who are ready for that kind of change. 

I’ve experienced a lot of change forced by life circumstances. Family trauma, spiritual/social abuse, grief, intimacy anorexia, and emotional stuntedness are all a part of my story of becoming  a man who has had to learn to be vulnerable. Life has a knack for knocking us down and causing sometimes unimaginable pain and suffering. My work as a therapist is helping people place the pain they’re experiencing into a story of transformation that informs who they are becoming. 

I believe that this change and the healing that follows often occurs within the context of secure relationships, and the secure relationship of counseling can be a hugely effective way of addressing both individual and relationship issues. The process of therapy is highly emotional and charged with energy, and it is my goal to help my clients experience the power of therapy with safety and efficiency. 

As a gay man, I have been told that vulnerability is weakness, that needing others, particularly other men, is anathema to my identity as a man. My graduate studies helped me understand the damage these messages caused. But it wasn’t until I fell in love that I personally realized the secret to healing. All of my academic training prepared me to understand my clients, but my personal experiences honed my ability to help them in a way no amount of schooling could. It was in a loving relationship that I experienced the trauma of my past, confronted the damage of negative masculinity, and learned to trust and heal. My training and my personal experience has taught me that safety, trust, and the intimacy that follows are important factors in change and healing. And I endeavor to provide the safety, trust, and intimacy that is necessary for others to heal as well - along with a sharp wit, a keen intellect, and a generous dose of humor.

My work with clients has become one of my greatest joys in life. I feel incredibly privileged to sit with people who are hurting and struggling to understand themselves and their relationships. I would be honored if you would let me join you on your healing journey.

Thanks for listening.

In addition to my Ph.D. training in counseling at the University of North Texas, I have extensive training in the art of relationship counseling and sex therapy. I have specifically studied and practiced sex therapy, I have conducted research on human sexual development, and I regularly speak, teach, and write on the subjects of sex and intimacy. I have served as an Adjunct Professor at Southern Methodist University where I worked with graduate students who are studying to become counselors and sex therapists. My research involved collecting the sexual stories of adults to create a more holistic model of sexual development. All of my experience and training has prepared me to see clients’ issues within the vast complexity of their lives and relationships.