ClearSky Counseling

MY BACKGROUND

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in the State of Oregon, having completed my Master’s degree in social work at Portland State University. In my current private counseling practice, I work with adult individuals and couples.

In a private mental health clinic, I counseled men and women individually as well as in groups and as couples. I also worked as part of a multidisciplinary team that included psychiatrists, psychologists, family and marriage therapists, licensed professional counselors, behavioral specialists, and social workers.

For several years, I served as an LCSW supervisor for interns working towards licensure, as an instructor for college students in social work field placement, and as a clinical discussion group leader for a psychiatric social work department.

Throughout my counseling career, my aim has always been the same: to be a catalyst for beneficial change – a change that helps my clients meet their challenges and live a vital and happy life.

My decision to become a therapist began decades ago with my love of doing inner work. As a result of this focus, I found that life – just as it is, even during difficult times, has inherent meaning and even joy. This sense of aliveness is still the basis of my path. It influences the work I do with my clients, and the way I live my life.

In my personal life, I meditate daily. I play piano, flute, and guitar. I have used a wheel to create pottery, and have written poetry. I have a love for nature and have hiked throughout the East Coast, Colorado, the Southwest, and the Pacific Northwest. I live with my beloved wife, and have wonderful adult stepchildren and a beautiful grandchild. I greatly enjoy books about nonduality. I have traveled to Singapore, Thailand, India, Italy, France, Belgium, England, Mexico, the Bahamas, and Canada, as well as having visited every U.S. state but Louisiana (it’s on my bucket list) in the lower 48.

Professional Organization & Association Memberships

  • National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
  • Association of Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS)

Certifications

  • Certified Mental Health Integrative Medicine Provider

Professional Development

I have taken continuing education courses in the following areas:

  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
    • Depression
    • Anxiety
    • Physical pain
  • Relationships (Focus on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and the Gottman Method)
  •  Mindfulness
    • Trauma
    • Anxiety
    • Sex
    • Depression
    • Stress
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
    • Anxiety
  • Supervision
  • Trauma
  • Hope, Resilience, and Recovery
  • Dialectical Behavior Therapy
  • Motivational Interviewing (a therapy method)
  • Diagnosis
  • Psychopharmacology
  • Emotional Attunement
  • Clinical Supervision – individual and group
  • Legal & Ethical Issues in Behavioral Health
  • Cultural Competency & Diversity
  • Attachment Theory
  • Nutritional & Integrative Medicine for Mental Health Professionals
  • Biofeedback
  • Emotion-Focused Therapy
ClearSky Counseling, LLC