About Pat

I work with a broad spectrum of issues. I have my own way of making sense of the challenges people face. People and situations are multi-determined; each is a unique mix of their experiences, genetics and current situation. No text book, no training is going to be able to capture you and your situation.

I think that we learn to make sense of the world around us when we’re very young – 0 to 5. Think about it. That’s when we first encounter love, hate, hugs, punishment, fear, courage, connection and everything else.  

Those first impressions give you lenses that you use to build future connections and make sense of people, feelings, the world! The trick is that our lenses are not the only lenses. Others picked up a different set of lenses. So you’re not going to make sense of the world in the same way. It can really make things difficult. 

We can discover new lenses together.

I practice psychodynamic therapy – the classic talk therapy you see in the media. It is not, however, the cliche you might imagine. I can help you look at things in new ways – with new lenses. I don’t think everything in your life is a result of  your childhood. But I think it plays a big part.  Our parents can care deeply for us and have the best intentions. That doesn’t mean something didn’t impact you negatively. 

My master’s degree in clinical social work and post-graduate training in psychoanalysis combined with my broad life experiences provide the perfect combination to help people feel better. I believe in ongoing education and personal work to grow and continue to provide deep and lasting work that can help you move on in peace.

Cairns have been around for centuries. You can find the concept in most cultures. They are used for a number of reasons. They let you know which direction to go at a crossroads. They are used to memorialize a person or event.  They represent balance. They let you know you are on the path and not off track. Most important, they let you know you are not alone. Someone has traversed this territory before and is letting you know 

that there is a way forward.

We work from a strengths perspective. You may be seeking to improve your mental health or to relieve discomfort. Regardless of what has brought you here, you come with many strengths, some you may not even know you have. We will help you see them, embrace them and use them to propel you forward. We will join you on your journey and help you find the cairns along the path that point your way. 

Each of us is on a path whether we can see it clearly or not. Paths can cross, run parallel and diverge. Fellow travelers will join us from time to time: for a short period or a lifetime. Once you reach out to us, we will decide together if it would benefit you for us to travel together for a while.  We can work together using counseling to move you toward your goals until your way forward is clear and unencumbered.

You define what the best version of you would look like. It isn’t what “they” think or what “people” think. It’s what you think and want that matters. We can help free you from the “shoulds” that social media tells us we “should” think, be or believe. Most important, it’s about shedding the past, clearing the present and focusing forward. We will help you turn down the static so you can begin to hear your own, authentic voice; maybe for the first time…how amazing would that be?

Therapy will teach you new strategies and tools to remove or shift your beliefs about obstacles which hinder you. Therapy use different lenses to evaluate a client’s presenting concerns and different inter-ventions to assist you. They are effective separately or as complementary work. 

In short, psychodynamic therapy is the practice of associating unhealthy patterns you are engaging in today with how you first learned these patterns: To do what?