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I am grateful to have the privilege of sitting with people at their most vulnerable times, helping them to find hope and strength, and to discover solutions to their painful problems. Its a tremendous gift to be witness to peoples' healing, as they implement changes in their lives which bring satisfaction, serenity, and deeply harmonious connections. I have 23 years of experience helping individuals, couples, families, and groups resolve problems with feelings (mood), stuck thinking, substance abuse, lack of satisfaction in their couple and family relationships, chronic worry, excessive anger, difficulty getting or keeping a job, conflicts in parenting/co-parenting responsibilities, out of control children/adolescents, and grieving the loss of loved ones. I, like most psychotherapists I know, care deeply about my clients. What distinguishes me from others are the breadth and variety of professional and personal experiences that have formed me into the therapist I am today. I am Bi-lingual, English and Spanish (I studied Spanish living in Mexico), and I have always had both Spanish and English speakers in my practice. My work experiences include both in-patient and out-patient substance abuse recovery agency settings, helping alcoholics and addicts and their families recover. I've been full time private practice since 2000, and part time for twelve years prior to 2000. I've worked part time for Child Protective Services (investigation), Family Court Services (mediation), Embedded Psychologist for the California National Guard, 579th Engineering Battalion, and four years as an ordained Catholic priest (I continue to maintain a personal and communal prayer life). I have 25 years continuous sobriety recovering from alcoholism. I am humbly, gratefully married with three children. People often remark to me that they don't know how I can sit and listen to peoples' problems all day. I respond, "To me, its a gift and I take joy in seeing people make changes that help them live more deeply harmonious lives. I get to see them connect more deeply with themselves, their loved ones, and the world and its Creator. Where else would I want to sit?"
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