I received my doctorate from the California
School of Professional Psychology in San Diego, in 1975 with a major
in the clinical practice of psychodiagnostics and psychotherapy, with
additional interest in systems, group and organizational psychology. I
earned a Master of Arts degree in psychology from California State
University at Long Beach, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Loma
Linda University with a major in psychology and sociology. I obtained
my Marriage, Family and Child Counselor License in 1975 (MFT6723) and
my Psychology License in 1976 (PSY4879).
Work
experience
In August 1975 I was hired to provide and
develop psychological services in the Mental Health and the Alcohol
and Substance Abuse Units at Glendale Adventist Medical Center. For
about 2 years I worked exclusively with the patients hospitalized in
these two treatment centers, I also supervised the alcoholic
counselors and provided leadership in the treatment planning
conferences in the alcoholic unit. There was also a need for
psychological consultation and services in other units in the
hospital, and once I became known I found myself being called
frequently to provide psychological consultation and treatment to
patients suffering with a variety of medical problems throughout the
hospital. In the mid 70's it was unusual for a private general
hospital to have a psychologist working full time in the hospital and
to have psychological consultation readily available. I also found
myself consulting with the hospital's administration, various middle
management and supervisory staff about various interpersonal and
organizational problems, quality assurance and other research, and
future planning. The requests for psychological services were more
than I could handle myself and I hired other psychologists to help
meet the needs.
In 1979 I opened a suite of offices in a
medical building adjacent to the hospital and would split my time
between hospital work and private outpatient work. I discovered that I
liked working with healthier and higher functioning outpatients better
than working with the sick or chronically ill inpatients. In 1986 I
moved my private office to its current site. The inconvenience of
having to drive a few miles to the hospital and the impact of managed
care and the insurance industry controlling treatment helped me shift
the focus of my work to exclusively outpatient.
I now specialize in working with normal and
higher functioning people. I also have the training, experience and
skills to work effectively with low functioning, emotionally disturbed
patients, substance abusers and the chemically dependent when needed.
I am an active, problem and solution oriented therapist and
consultant. I stay focused on the goals and relevant issues that my
clients want to resolve, overcome or change. I coach and guide my
clients in their learning and development of new skills. I am
accepting and respectful of individual and group differences, and am
able to work effectively with a variety of cultural and religious
belief systems. I do not take on the role or image of a therapist, but
I am honestly and visibly myself when I am working as a therapist.
I married in 1970, and have two adult daughters.
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