JP

The Approach I Take

Each of us bears a unique stamp of existence, that brings with it various and unique struggles. Each struggle, like suffering, is an inevitable and natural part of life. But you do not have to bear this burden alone. Each struggle presents an opportunity for growth, positive change, new meaning and purpose, and self-discovery. Overcoming life’s challenges such as, grief, anxiety, and depression are realizable goals. Greater potential and a better future are attainable even in our most trying times.

My therapeutic approach is to embrace both the dark and light aspects of life, while also letting go of that which we cannot control. While I work from a stance of mindfulness, I also bring a psychodynamic and holistic perspective. My approach focuses both on embracing acceptance and active commitment. My commitment to our work is to gain insight, remove obstacles, and find new perspectives. I specialize in working with anxiety, depression, disability, and relational issues. And with each of these distinct struggles, demands an individualized treatment approach, tailored to your specific needs. I believe in a therapy that is both creative, and a therapy that possesses fidelity. Therapy is a commitment—one that I believe can help one in committing once again or once more to living a fulfilling life.

About Me

I am a White male, living with a disability. I came to the practice of therapy through my own experience with suffering. After losing much of my eyesight due to a rare retinal condition—I found the healing power of therapy and counseling. Through this experience, I learned to grieve in my own way, and to sit with both ambiguity and uncertainty. Having experienced the profound benefit of therapeutic process, upon the ending of my own therapy, I returned to school to pursue a career in the helping professions. I found my way to Seattle University, where I attained a Master of Arts in Psychology in the Existential and Phenomenological Psychology program. Although my training is in the existential tradition, my orientation is one of the humanistic and psychodynamic traditions. My disability brought me to this field, and both informed my experience and orientation and I believe uniquely positions me to sit in

My work within the community has taken the form of volunteering on the King County Crisis Line, the Washington Warm Line, and at the Recovery Café. These volunteer experiences have been striking; I have gained enormous respect for working with individuals who are suffering and those living with oppression in marginalized communities. These positions have taught me more deeply the importance of empathic listening and compassionate attunement. All these skills proved essential at my internship at Catholic Community Services, where I honed my therapeutic skills and techniques working with a diversity of clients. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, I have learned to navigate online and distanced therapy.