A licensed psychotherapist (LCSW) and an emeritus professor of philosophy, I have one foot in the world of therapy and one in the world of philosophy.
In fact, it was philosophy that drove me into therapy (but not in the way that you’re probably thinking). As a philosopher, I was always much more interested in questions of the practical application of the discipline rather than its theoretical implications. Whether it was the Buddhist view of suffering, Stoic advice on equanimity, Aristotle’s view on the good life, Camus’ thoughts on the absurd, or the Transcendentalist reflections on nature—these were the thinkers I taught and read.
My first book, Don’t Worry, Be Stoic: Ancient Wisdom for Troubled Times, was an attempt to apply the principles of Stoicism to the problems of contemporary life.It was about that time I discovered the American Philosophical Practitioners Association (APPA).Founded by Lou Marinoff, author of Plato not Prozac, it is the APPA’s mission to train philosophers to take the wisdom of philosophy outside of the academy. After becoming a certified philosophical practitioner, however, I found it difficult to find a clientele for my services. For one thing, philosophical counseling or whatever you want to call it is not covered by insurance.
So I faced a choice to either remain in the ivory tower or to try carry out the counseling practice in the outside world, which would require embarking on a whole, new path. As you can probably guess, I chose the latter, which is how I ended up as a licensed psychotherapist.
Professional Training
Conditions Treated: Anxiety, Anger Mangement, Depression, Grief and Loss, PTSD, Complex Trauma, Addiction, Life Transitions,
Therapies Utilized: Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Polyvagal Theory, Motivational Interviewing, Internal Family Systems, AttachmentTheory
Certifications
I have teaching level qualifications for Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction from the University of California at San Diego Center for Mindfulness. MBSR is the gold standard of mindfulness trainings, which has been used for most of the research on mindfulness over the past four decades. Only a few institutes in the country can certify teachers of MBSR.
In addition, I have advanced training in Mindfulness for Chronic Conditions from Vidyamala Burch’s Breathworks. Vidyamala pioneered the use of mindfulness for chronic pain in Great Britian and continues to be a leading force in the field.
I am on the national provider registry for Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT). CPT is on the American Psychological Associations list of strongly recommended strategies for PTSD
PROFESSIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
- Arizona Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW #21534)
- PhD (Philosophy), University of Washington
- MSW, Arizona State University
- Emeritus Professor, Weber State University, Ogden, UT
- Certified Philosophical Practitioner, American Philosophical Practitioner Association (APPA)