Inspiring Change LLC

How Therapy Works

Psychotherapy is the science and art of healing conversation. It's been called "the talking cure."

Regular sessions with a skilled counselor can help you regain mental, physical and spiritual stability, particularly during times of acute stress or difficult life transition.

What do we talk about in therapy? You. I'll take the time necessary to listen to your experience and understand your concerns before I begin to offer specific suggestions. Our conversations are structured to help you remember, feel, challenge, and reorganize your experience. It can be hard work, thinking about your self. But it's often joyful work, the kind of effort that changes lives and relationships for the better.

Research continues to demonstrate the biochemical links between brain function and thought, feeling and behavior. Psychotropic medications like anti-depressants can help stabilize emotions and provide relief to those suffering from chronic mental disorders. But lasting emotional change doesn't come in a prescription bottle.

Are you tired of the way you feel?

Whether traumatic memories, problematic behaviors, or troubled relationships are disrupting your inner peace, personal growth is needed. Lasting change is possible. Let's get started.

My Theory of Psychotherapy

I practice therapy as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and Pastoral Counselor. I believe our relationships shape who we are and influence how we feel, think and behave. Those relationships include the ones we have with ourselves, our loved ones, our communities, and God.

Of particular importance is our family of origin, the extended system of relationships in which we were raised. The influence of this primary emotional system is of central importance to the way I understand human behavior and how I conduct therapy.

It's my goal with each client to provide excellent, compassionate mental health care. My practice is centered in the boundaries and ethics of my profession, providing services without regard to race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, gender or sexual identity, age or disability.

Premarital Counseling

Planning on getting married? Congratulations! Because it's such an enormous life commitment, I encourage everyone planning to marry to obtain at least 4 hours of pre-marriage counseling in preparation for their vows.

I have done premarital counseling with over 100 couples, and have been using the tools of Prepare/Enrich since 1983. I have a link to this resource on the About the Therapist page of this website.

I offer a 4 session premarital counseling package for couples for $398 (cash/check) or $425 (debit/credit card). The additional $30 fee for the Prepare/Enrich inventories is paid directly to Life Innovations. Appointments are available daytime and some evenings. When office sessions and "homework" discussions are combined, this process qualifies couples for the Minnesota premarital preparation discount on marriage licenses.