Qualifications & Experience

I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) with three decades of experience working in the mental health field. I received my Bachelor of Arts degree in both Psychology and Human Development from the University of California at Riverside (UCR). I also obtained Master of Arts degrees in Counseling Psychology and Religious Studies from Southern California Seminary. I have worked extensively at a variety of different community-based mental health programs, primarily in the not-for-profit sector, across several levels of care, requiring an adaptive and evolving degree of clinical skill.

My Call to Christian Counseling

I recognized early on in my academic career while pursuing a degree in Biomedical Sciences and taking an elective course in Psychology that my future in the helping professions would lie along a different path. I changed majors from Pre-Med to Psychology and never looked back.

More About Me/On a Personal Note

I enjoy spending quality time with my beautiful wife of 20 plus years while raising our amazing teenage son. I am also a stepdad and now grandpa to an awesome stepson and daughter-in-law and their adorable young boy. I consider myself to be a lifelong learner, an avid reader and film connoisseur, and a faithful churchgoer and servant of God. I count myself blessed to know the Lord and desire to pursue His will for my life and share His message through outreach and counseling others in order to help them start living their best life now.

Areas of Expertise/Specialties

• Abandonment and Neglect
• ADHD
• Aging and Geriatric Issues
• Alcohol Use Disorders
• Anger Management
• Anxiety
• Bipolar Disorder
• Chemical Dependency (Alcohol and Substance Use Disorders)
• Counseling for Children
• Counseling for Teens
• Couples Counseling
• Codependency
• Depression
• Family Counseling
• Grief, Loss and Complicated Bereavement
• Group Counseling
• Homicidal Thoughts and Ideation (HI)
• Individual Counseling
• Infidelity and Affairs
• Marriage Counseling
• Men’s Issues
• OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)
• Online Counseling
• Personal Development
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Premarital Counseling
• Professional Development
• Relationship Issues
• Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders
• Self-Injurious Behavior (SIB)
• Substance Use Disorders
• Suicidal Thoughts and Ideation (SI)
• Sex and Porn Addiction
• Sexual Abuse
• Spiritual Development
• Trauma

Anger Management

It is so easy to lose control of emotions, say things we don’t mean in the moment, fly off the handle, explode in anger, and come to regret our words or deeds. However, the Bible is full of advice and wisdom to help guide us through every struggle. “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires” (James 1:19-20). As your therapist, I will support you in learning the necessary skills to follow this lesser traveled path.

Men’s Issues

Through counseling, I help men by providing them with a safe and supportive space to verbalize and identify, process and sort through, as well as understand and express their thoughts and feelings. Some men with less experience sharing their emotions initially may not feel comfortable processing their feelings due to the way they have been socialized to deal with their problems. However, many men have reported to me that they find this to be some of the most challenging yet rewarding work that they have ever done.

Chemical Dependency (Alcohol and Substance Use Disorders)

Chemical dependency only makes life worse, and complicates every other illness and challenge you may be facing in life. As your therapist, I will meet you where you are in your recovery process and support you in learning the skills and creating the support network that you will need to achieve a lasting sobriety.

Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar Disorder can feel like the best and worst of both worlds. If you are experiencing life through this lens, you need not only the stability of a safe place to process but the constant anchor of emotional support and acceptance that can only be felt and understood as you begin to see yourself in the same way that God sees you, as His special creation.

OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)

OCD can be like living life while listening to a record that gets stuck in a groove or rut, that repeats in an endless fashion until something is done to help the person move forward and allow the song to continue its melody. The severity of OCD symptoms, which include obsessive thoughts and feelings accompanied by compulsive acts and behaviors, can range from mildly annoying to truly maddening. However, as your therapist, I will provide supportive and patient counseling in order to help you learn useful coping skills which can be practiced during and between your sessions.

Sessions: I offer 53-minute sessions. Sessions can be held more than once per week, weekly, or every other week. Scheduling options are discussed in greater detail during your Risk-Free Initial Session.

Availability (by office location):

• Carlsbad – Monday & Wednesday
• San Diego – Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, & Saturday
• Online Counseling – Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, & Saturday

Fees: I offer a Risk-Free Initial Session for individuals, couples, families, and groups looking to pursue counseling with me. Please note that there is a fee for the Risk-Free Initial Session as it is a clinical hour and reimbursable to most insurance companies, but if you choose not to reschedule and continue therapy after the initial session the entire fee for the session will be waived. For ongoing treatment the full fee per session is required at the time of service.

Insurance: As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), most insurance companies will reimburse for a portion of my services (as an Out of Network Provider). Please consult with your insurance provider as to whether they specifically cover adolescents, individuals and couples.

Receipts/Statements: In the event you require a printed or digital receipt, I will provide receipts for personal use, insurance reimbursement, Flex Spending Accounts (FSA), and Health Savings Accounts (HSA).

Payment options: Cash, Check, or Credit Card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, & American Express). A fee of up to 4% per transaction will be added for credit card payments.