INDIVIDUAL
I work with individuals of all ages, ethnicities, sexual orientations, religious affiliations, and those with their own spiritual path. My hope and goal is to help you to find a path to a life in which you can thrive, a life of joy, a life filled with love for yourself and others.
RELATIONSHIP
I believe that most of us are created to be in relationship with others.
The nature of our relationships can range from deeply romantic, to life-affirming friendships, to work colleagues, neighbors, etc. Too often, in our most important relationships, we behave from a place of fear rather than love. We live out of our past experiences, or out of what we learned in our families of origin.
Imagine how it would feel to bring your WHOLE self to your relationships. To know that you bring your most authentic self, ready to engage another authentic whole person. I believe that we are all called to live authentic, loving lives and we are called to bring our real, loving, creative, sometimes clumsy selves as gifts to those with whom we are in relationship.
Perhaps it’s time to stop living out of fear and time to bring your whole self to the party. For that's what it is--a PARTY!
Are all of your relationships grounded in love, respect, mutual acceptance, and support? Are your relationships collaborative endeavors? Are you fed by your relationships or do they suck the energy out of you? Let me help you discover what magnificent relationships are in store for you.
PRE-MARTITAL
I have officiated at a great many weddings, and each one has been a unique experience. When asked to perform a wedding I let the couple know that one of my prerequisites is that we engage in a minimum of 3 premarital counseling sessions. The rationale behind this is simple. Most of our future behavior in a marriage will have its origins in our early family experiences and previous relationships. It is important to identify those behaviors that might prove a threat to a long-term relationship. Premarital counseling is an opportunity to reflect on one's motivation to get married and to hear the motivations of your fiancé.
An interesting aspect of premarital counseling is that these sessions often produce information that one person doesn’t know about their partner. So many topics are not discussed on a regular basis, even in the healthiest of relationships. These sessions are an important time to hear and share expectations, concerns, fears and deep commitment.
So many couples planning weddings these days bring with them a history of divorce or broken romantic relationships. Entering into a second marriage is an important time to make a commitment to abandon some bad habits and ways of being in relationship, preferring to discover a healthier way of uniting.
Although I am a Christian pastor, I have performed non-Christian unions, including Taoist and Jewish ceremonies.
Finally, although most of the premarital counseling I have engaged in has been connected to weddings I've been asked to perform, I am also happy to assist couples who simply want some guided reflections on this major step in your lives.
SEXUAL IDENTITY AND SEXUALITY
For something so natural and so much a part of human expression and experience, it's sad that so many of our "self" concerns has to do with sex and sexuality. So let me say this now and invite you to receive it. Sex is a gift from your Creator, a gift from Life. Your body is a gift from your Creator. You are created to be a sexual person as much as you are created to be a spiritual person. Discover your sexual identity, your sexual path, even if that path changes over time. Once you have discovered your path, live into it. Your Creator is pleased when you have discovered your whole self and can give that self-full expression.
Gay, Straight, Bisexual, Questioning, Transgender, all are welcome in my counseling practice. Know that who you are will always be respected and honored. Who you are becoming will always be nurtured.
Gender Identity
I believe that the best person to name our gender is ourself. Sometimes, we discover that the body parts with which we were born are in conflict with the person we know ourself to be. I would be delighted to walk with you on your journey of discovery, and to celebrate with you the increasing clarity of who you really are.
CLERGY AND SEMINARIANS
Helping the ones who help. Caring for those who do the caring. Being in ministry, whether in a parish setting, or one of several community settings, is hard work and can often lead to burnout, dissatisfaction, and unhappiness. I would welcome the opportunity to help you navigate your ministry, your life, and your calling.
For those preparing for ministry, I offer an opportunity for you to clarify your calling, work through the many challenges of seminary, and find a healthy way to navigate this new chapter in your life and work.
GRIEF
Loss occurs to all of us, and comes in many forms. Loss due to the death of a loved one, loss of a relationship, and loss due to aging or disability, etc.
I am here to "hold" your grief with you, and support you as you navigate your journey through grief. I offer you a place to find your own future and your place in the world, even with loss and grief. I'll help you learn how to receive the love of your friends and family in the midst of loss.
My hope is to help you build a loving relationship with your grief so that you might find new meaning and purpose in your life.