About Michael
I have been married to my wife, Valerie, since 1982. Together we have raised a son and daughter. I know from my first-hand experience of what works and what doesn’t work when it comes to raising healthy children and how to develop and maintain a healthy marriage.
Falling in love and getting married is easy. Remaining committed to the married while love and admiration for one another that grows over time requires work. In the same way, having children is easy. Being collaborative parents while raising them to be happy, healthy, and responsible adults requires work.
It has not always been easy. There were times that were difficult. These difficult times felt overwhelming when clear solutions were not present. I can honestly say that it was going through these challenging times that provided the experience required to grow and develop to become who I am today. My relationship with my wife deserves much of the credit for inspiring me to want to be a better man and a better marriage therapist in the process.
Since 1985, I have maintained my commitment to working with others as a licensed psychotherapist. I have worked with adolescents and their families in residential treatment centers, served as an emergency response crisis intervention specialist, built a private practice and became known as a marriage specialist in the community. In 2015, I took a hiatus from the practice to assist with my elderly in-laws in Florida. I recently returned to California and excited to resume my commitment to assist others in their journey through life’s challenges.
My Commitment
Through these years I have maintained my commitment to personal and professional development so that I could fulfill my desire to make a difference in other’s lives. I have obtained post graduate education that has strengthened and shaped my practical approach to working with others with a health based model that is proven to be effective. I have had the fortunate opportunities to train with drug and alcohol addiction specialists. I have attended advanced workshops with leaders in the field of relationship psychology such as Esther Perel, MA, David Schnarch, PhD, Ruth Morehouse, PhD, James Maddock, PhD Katie Hendricks, PhD and Daniel Siegel, MD. I have also had the privilege to attend workshops with Dr. Joe Dispenza.
I have worked with thousands of individuals and couples since 1985 and seen some remarkable transformations due to the thoughtful, and caring approach that is well grounded in knowledge and experience.
If you are ready to do the work, give me a call and let’s get started.
My Approach & Values
I am a systems thinker because we all grow up in environments that influence how we see and act in the world. Our environment is made up by those in our family, neighborhood, schools, etc. and the experiences that are presented to us develop our view of the world and our conditioning to it. I also recognize what Cognitive Behavioralists have to offer psychology because if we are to make changes of our own volition then we must think beyond our own limited views (cognition) and act (behavior) differently than we have been conditioned in order to make effective changes.
I take into account the meaning of what one thinks and how they act that is derived from their unique characteristics and upbringing. The entirety of what forms the current live picture of what is going on is viewed as a logical outcome based on one’s abilities to do the best they can with what their current skills and experiences afford.
Rather than look for what is “wrong” or what needs to be “fixed”, I am more inclined to respectfully explore and curiously investigate what might be challenging each individual’s current scope of view and level of skill so as to more adequately attend to their life circumstances. I referred to this as a Humanistic Approach or a Health-Based Model.
My Credentials
- Licensed Marriage Family Therapist in the State of California (LMFT20208) since 1985
- Licensed Marriage Family Therapist in the State of Washington (LF00001345) since 1990
- Masters Degree in Clinical Humanistic Psychology
- Bachelors Degree in Psychology
- Certified Traumatic Services Specialist with Association of Traumatic Stress Specialists
My Philosophy
Life is precious and short. We must live it to the fullest and with no regrets. This requires a certain amount of courage as life has many challenges. In order to face these challenges, we must rise to the occasion, grow, and make the necessary adjustments.
Personal growth is a continual process and we are never done. That is if we are willing to face the challenges of life head-on. Otherwise, we are likely to shy away, restrict our growth, and not feel as free to enjoy our life completely.
Marriage is one way that gives people enough reason to grow through their challenges and evolve further, without a committed relationship there would not be as much motivation to change.
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