I am a clinical psychologist with licensure in Oregon. My business is called "A Place to Talk" because I wanted a name to describe a place where a person can come to talk about things that may be difficult. I have designed my office to be a comfortable place to talk.

I work with a variety of problems and issues. I will discuss this more below. I also do mediation around relationship break-ups, business and family issues, and other conflict situations.

I have traveled quite a bit and enjoy learning about a variety of cultures, both here in the USA and in other countries. I had the honor of teaching a course on mental health in Saudi Arabia as well as giving a couple lectures in New Zealand and Australia.

I do training for corporations around topics related to mental health such as "Dealing with Difficult People", "Handling Stress in the Office", "Working with People who are Different From You," and "Sexual Harassment: How to know it when you see it". Sometimes I go to businesses after a death, a robbery or some other difficult event has happened to help the employees deal with the emotional aftermath.     ^Top


Education

I enjoy learning so I keep going to school. Our knowledge of the brain and behavior is always growing and I like to be on the cutting edge of my work. I have a BA in sociology and psychology from the University of Arkansas. My master's degree in human relations is from the University of Oklahoma.

I have a doctorate degree in clinical psychology and law degree from the University of Nebraska. I did my internship at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute (part of the medical school at UCLA). I am currently working on certification as a trainer at Portland State University.

I have taught in graduate schools and at several colleges. I currently teach a course on sexual issues that come up in therapy to graduate students in a local university training program. I have also directed two counseling centers. I do consulting with lawyers, other therapists, and programs such as Head Start.

I work with a broad range of emotional, mental, and addiction problems-with individuals, couples, and families. In addition, I have specialized training in depression, sexual dysfunctions, recovery from sexual assault, and men's and women's issues. I am a trained mediator.

Please call me about my fees. These are changed regularly due to reimbursement schedules set by insurance companies. I give a 20% discount for cash payments at the time of therapy. I do this because my paper work is significantly reduced if I am not billing an insurance carrier. I have a few daytime hours a week set aside for sliding fee clients but there is often a waiting list for these hours. My office is close to the Hawthorne and Belmont bus routes.     ^Top

About
A Place to Talk

My office is located in a turn of the century house within walking distance of the Hawthorne and Belmont busses. It is designed to help clients feel comfortable. I have a wheel chair accessible entry way. The waiting room contains a lending library, tea and coffee, and comfortable chairs.

My practice is diverse. I work with most issues and people 16 years and above. I also work with parents around their children's problems. While some young children do need counseling, often parents can make the changes needed to help their children if they enhance their parenting skills with behavioral tools.

A final thought: The people who come to counseling are those who have found inside of themselves the courage and desire to change, to seek a better and fuller way of being themselves, alone and in relationship to others. I hope that if you are at a time in your life when you want to work on change, you will call for an appointment.      ^Top