About Me
In 50 years of clinical practice I have come to think of what I do as a unique form of education. Psychotherapists "teach" not so much by telling people what to do (although good advice can be useful), but by helping clients to find the strength within themselves, and the needed support from those around them, to address the difficulties in their current lives in new and more effective ways. A therapeutic environment enables clients to develop a new way of understanding their life experiences that promotes higher self-esteem, increased capacity for intimacy, and greater effectiveness in work.
Reflecting on where we come from--our family, friendships, school and other life experiences--enables us to understand the narrative of how our lives unfold the way they do, and how the past remains alive in present-day thought, feeling and behavior.
In my clinical work, as in my teaching and supervision at UCSF and other institutions, I try to foster an attitude of curiosity about oneself and others, and deep respect and empathy for life's challenges and the efforts we make to face them.
