Hey! I'm a psychologist, husband, and dad. I help people overcome anxiety and strengthen important relationships. 

I made this website as ugly as possible. Why? Because it makes me worry! Here's what my mind says: This looks unprofessional! I'll get sued! My career will collapse and my future will be ruined!

Leaving the website like this is called an “exposure.” That's psychology-speak for standing up to your fears. Even though my worries might come true, I am choosing to do something important to me (i.e., stop tweaking this website and go hang with my family). I'm choosing NOT to obey my fears (i.e., waste more hours making this website "perfect"; get snippy at my wife when she asks me to come play a board game instead).

Back when I was a young adult paralyzed by OCD, this website (let alone this imperfect approach to life) would have been unthinkable. But since then, I've spent over a decade developing expertise in behavior change and cognitive-behavioral therapies. I hold master's and doctoral degrees in clinical psychology and trained with some of the original developers of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP). I also completed the Behavior Therapy Training Institute from the International OCD Foundation, generally considered the best training in Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for OCD. Professionally, I have held research roles in the psychology departments at Stanford University and the University of Washington; co-authored research on healthcare relationships in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and other peer-reviewed journals; and presented findings at professional conferences in the U.S. and abroad. 

Most importantly, I've had the honor of helping hundreds of people live full, connected lives, even when their anxiety says to keep running in circles.

HOW I HELP PEOPLE WITH OCD/ANXIETY:

Think exposure might be helpful for you, too? The science likely agrees: exposure and response prevention (ERP) is widely understood to be the most effective treatment for OCD/anxiety. We'll explore your own version of an "ugly website" — your unique way of standing up to your deepest, weirdest fears. I'll be beside you the entire way, whether we're high-fiving with contaminated hands, tasting snacks you worry are poisoned, writing love notes you may not mean to a partner you're constantly doubting, or finding the humor in your horrifying thoughts about hurting innocent people. 

And because I practice from an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) perspective, our exposures will aim even higher than merely reducing your anxiety. We will try to radically open up your life, so obsessions and compulsions aren't distracting you from who and what is truly important. This work will be guided by up-to-date scientific evidence, but it will be a very collaborative and human process, not a mechanical one. 

HOW I HELP COUPLES/FAMILIES:

None of us has a perfect marriage. Truly, every relationship - however beautiful overall - has its messy, ugly parts. But how do you know if struggles in your current relationship can be improved, or if it's time to work on radical acceptance of your loved one's... imperfections?

Some of the couples and families I work with are impacted by OCD or another anxiety disorder. Others come in with no formal mental health diagnosis, simply longing to argue less or connect more deeply. 

Whether you're working through attachment traumas, marital struggles, adolescent growing pains, or ROCD, we can help you better understand what's happening and change however possible. I help people build communication skills, set boundaries, work through indecision, overcome anxiety, grieve losses, and generally develop new insights and experiences in their close relationships. The best couples or family therapy can not only improve your current relationship, but also help you develop as an individual. It's not uncommon to find you are able to communicate better across several areas of your life after engaging in this work.

I have expertise in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), one of the most well-researched couples and family interventions, as well as Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP), an intense and vulnerable approach that focuses on here-and-now relational experiences. The goal of these approaches is for you to build deep trust and safety with the important people in your life. This can lead you to become much more responsive to one another's needs over time. I also draw from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and the Gottman Method, both of which provide concrete tools for de-escalating arguments. 

Using these approaches, I will help you work towards a relationship that is loving, supportive, comfortable, kind, and fun.