My reason for focusing on men in particular comes from my own personal experiences as a man raised in the United States. I learned early in life that there were certain expectations that others had of me as a man in this society. Specifically, I was supposed to work hard, solve problems, and be able to “handle” all sorts of things without getting too upset. Relying on someone else for help was discouraged. With these types of pressures, I came to understand that it was harder for men to connect with others. Through extensive contemplation and research, I've come to believe that men are often not taught the skills to build and sustain successful, meaningful relationships. This does not mean that men are incapable of these types of relationships, just that many have been encouraged to foster other traits instead, such as strength, independence, competition, rationality, lack of emotion. There is certainly nothing wrong with these characteristics – in fact, they can be very useful in many different situations. However, I have the sense that many men are missing out on another important part of life: the ability to connect with others in a meaningful way. I want to help men develop and maintain strong relationships with those that they care about, and through these relationships bring more balance, satisfaction, and meaning into their lives.

I believe that there are many benefits to counseling. First and foremost, it provides you with a safe and confidential place to talk about whatever you want. I place a large focus on providing support and being your advocate. Because I am not intimately involved in your situation like family and friends are, it is easier for me to focus on what is important to you without my own needs or opinions interfering. Second, counseling gives you the chance to explore your personal issues in a way that does not typically happen in everyday interaction. I will ask questions and provide feedback specifically designed to deepen your understanding or increase your awareness of your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. This increased knowledge about yourself allows you to make changes so that you can begin living a more meaningful life. Third, counseling teaches you new skills and provides you with opportunities to practice using those skills in a safe and supportive environment. It can undoubtedly feel like a big step to come to counseling for the first time, but I firmly believe that the payoff can make it worth it.

I recognize that coming to therapy can sometimes be an intimidating thing to do. One of my primary goals is to provide a safe, supportive, and confidential place for you to discuss those issues that are important to you. To accomplish this, my approach to working with you will be uniquely tailored to meet your specific needs. Thus, there is no one way that I conduct therapy with all people. Typically, I will spend the initial 1-2 sessions gathering information about your concerns and developing a plan for how to best address them. While I will drive the development of this plan, I also will rely on your opinions and feedback as a way to ensure that you are comfortable and satisfied with the chosen approach.

Over the course of counseling, much of what we will do is talk. My role is to listen, ask questions, make suggestions, and provide feedback in ways to help you gain understanding about yourself and learn new skills. I sometimes (with your permission) conduct in-session meditation or relaxation exercises. I also sometimes give homework assignments, where I ask you to focus on a particular behavior outside of our meetings together. Overall, counseling is most successful if you can approach it with an open mind and a willingness to talk about and explore different components of your life.

While I may encourage you to talk about things that might feel uncomfortable or difficult, I will never force you to discuss anything you don't want to. You always get to choose what you are or are not willing to talk about.

In relationship counseling my focus is on the relationship, rather than the individuals who are a part of the relationship. I work to help people understand the relationship dynamics, communication patterns, and behaviors that are contributing to their issues. I frequently lead in-session communication exercises, give homework assignments to practice new interaction styles, teach you problem-solving skills, and encourage openness, acceptance, and positive interaction. Overall, my goal is to foster a safe and productive environment for you to be able to better understand and change your relationship patterns.

Even if your partner is not willing to come to counseling, I recommend that you come anyway. There are many things that can be done to improve a relationship even when only one person is working to change. Often, as you begin to change, your partner will become more willing to explore his or her own role in the relationship and what can be done to improve it.

In addition, I am also very willing to talk by phone or meet in person with someone who is feeling unsure about the therapeutic process. This can sometimes alleviate any concerns that person might have.

Of course! I work with women both individually and in relationship counseling. I would be happy to discuss your personal issues or explore concerns you have with a man you care about.

I believe that the use of medication for mental health issues is a personal choice and I will support you in whatever decision you make. However, there may be times when I recommend you either consider taking medication or consider going off of medication because I believe it would be in the best interest of your overall progress in therapy. Please feel free to discuss with me any concerns you have about medication.

Yes, except when disclosure of information is required by law. This means that I will not speak to anyone about your personal information or the nature of our relationship. I am only required by law to disclose information when I have reasonable suspicion of child, dependent, or elder abuse or neglect or if you were to tell me about any serious intention you had of harming yourself or others. It is also possible that I may be required to release information if ordered to do so by a judge in legal proceedings. Please feel free to talk to me further if you have any concerns about confidentiality.

I typically recommend one session per week, especially in the beginning of counseling. However, this can always be adjusted based on individual needs. The length of counseling is hard to predict, as it varies based on the types of issues you are working on. However, meaningful change can often be accomplished in 12-20 sessions.

I charge $125 for a 50-minute session.

I block out a limited number of hours per week for clients with a limited income. Please inquire to see if any of these slots are currently available and to negotiate a reduced fee.

In addition, there is a reduced fee ($60/session) option now available with doctoral student Emma Mansour, MS. Click here for more details.

I take cash, checks, and credit cards.

I am currently only accepting self-pay clients or those with UNI-Behavioral Health Network (mental health provider for University of Utah employees) insurance. However, I am happy to provide you with the necessary paperwork to get out-of-network reimbursement from your insurance company.

Please speak with me further if you questions about billing or insurance.