To be human is to experience all manner of hardship. Without a doubt, we—all of us, will experience unseen obstacles, unexpected loss, disappointment in ourselves and in others, and adversity we did not feel adequately prepared to handle. There is turbulence in the course of our days! As a cancer survivor, I know this intimately, in body, and in heart and mind. One of the reasons I am so fond of surfing is that it provides a tremendous testing ground to explore, be humbled by, push against, and ride out the ocean’s turbulence. There are many aspects of our lives which can be seen in a similar fashion. Consider all which we cannot control, yet there also exists an ever-present light and potential for us to respond rather than react, and to ride the wave of grief, of loss, of a diagnosis, of a breach of trust or a separation, as best we can.

As a child I grew up with a caring, present, free-spirted mother who taught my brother and me about meditation and yoga. To be honest, back then I thought this stuff was a little weird! Fortunately, western empirical ways of knowing have caught up with many ancient traditions which offer gifts of health, well-being, and vitality. We now know through established research that mindfulness, play, and somatic awareness are incredibly powerful and can restructure our brain chemistry and neural pathways—yes, this weird stuff really works! Along the way I have learned from a variety of teachers and been inspired by their great gifts to the world. I consider the anti-oppression model created by Dr. Leticia Nieto. I observe the compassionate stance of Dr. Peter Levine. I find deep philosophical connection with the work of Dr. Stephen Hays. My own emotional capacity is stretched when listening to lectures by Dr. Sue Johnson, or Pema Chodron, or the heart-led clinician and expert in Polyvagal Theory, Deb Dana. Going further back, I’ve been playfully inspired by Virginia Satir, Gary Landreth, and Virginia Axline, and deeper still into the past I see truth in the search for meaning by existentialist Viktor Frankl and the exploration of the shadow by Carl Jung. Poets like Langston Hughes, Bell Hooks, and Audre Lorde have challenged my sense of self, place and history. Authors like Ursula K. Le Guin have stretched my imaginal realm. Even locally, close to where I live, people like Debe Eden, Cary Hamilton, Mae Kessler, and Robert Perretz-Rosales inspire me to become the best person-counselor-human I strive to be.

I share all of this in an attempt to name that I am carrier of a torch which I did not light. I hope I can tend this well. So many have come before me, and they are deserving of my thoughts, my recognition and respect. I am grateful. I am a husband. I am a father. I am a poet. I am an applied theatre practitioner and a playful soul; the wild-running stream of creative force is something I return to again and again. I am a colleague, a friend to some, and a family member to many. Now as a counselor, I am ‘in the work’ I believe I was meant for. It is an honor to be here.

For those who would like a more pragmatic lens of what I am currently available to offer: I am trained in many therapeutic modalities and tend to tailor my therapeutic approaches, tools, assessments, and interventions to each person’s needs. The core philosophies of my work are Person Centered and Existential, and I have formal training in Psychodrama, Play Therapy, Internal Family Systems, Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). I am LGBTQ+ and neurodivergent affirming. I have also learned, through experience, that somatic approaches and creative play can be utilized with great success by children, teens, and yes--even couples and adults! Currently, I am practicing under the supervision of Kristen McClintock. I am a licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate (LMHCA) in Washington State, and I received my Master’s Degree in Counseling from St. Martin’s University.