“Great,” Conor said. “Another story when there are more important things going on.” Stories are important, the monster said. They can be more important than anything. If they carry the truth.”

- Patrick Ness; Siobhan Dowd. A Monster Calls

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Professional organizations and affiliations...

• Wisconsin Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

• Adjunct Instructor Edgewood College MFT Masters Program (Foundations of Systemic Practice, Clinical Treatment: Couples)

• Clinical Fellow of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) 

• Approved AAMFT supervisor

• Member and certification with American Society of Clinical Hypnosis (ASCH)

• Approved Consultant (Required to supervise professionals seeking certification) in Clinical Hypnosis (ASCH)

• Clinical member and certification with of the Society of Clinical Experimental Hypnosis (SCEH/CCH)

• Board member of Marriage and Family Therapy for Department of Safety and Professional Services (Governor appointed, Senate confirmed)

• Member of Wisconsin Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (WAMFT)

 

Professionals in all health fields must know how to see and hear things that clients do not even know they are communicating. As we listen, however, we must be constantly aware of our own assumptions and expectations regarding what we will hear.”- Kay Thompson

 

Common Questions...

How often do you recommend meeting?

If schedules allow, I ideally recommend having three weekly sessions to get started. At the third session we often discuss the timing of sessions based on your individual goals and needs. I like sessions to be far enough apart that what we talk about in session has time to be put into action but not so far apart that we’re just repeating previous sessions because there is no forward momentum.

How many sessions will I need?

The answer to that is different for different people as the most effective route in therapy is not always a straight line. Some people are best matched for a single session, others are on a long term growth journey and yet others are best matched with short bursts of multiple sessions with extended gaps. 

You have to say that cause I’m paying you, right?  

There’s a strong place for affirmation in therapy, but I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t challenge you when necessary. In my therapy room you pay for the skill set and experience. The caring and attention is free.

What will the first few sessions look like?

Typically, at the first session we’ll discuss all the administrative factors we need to cover and I’ll be looking for a big picture understanding of your concerns and goals. The second session is a chance for me to dig into specific areas in more detail. It’s not unusual for change to occur from day one but this outline can help people understand why I’m asking the questions that I am.

Can you make….?

Yes, but I probably won’t. A thorough knowledge of psychology enables an individual to shape and influence others but in many cases taking this influence to the level of “making” an individual do or think something is often short lived success and often ultimately unhealthy.

When are you available?

My current availability for sessions is Monday to Friday: 11am to 7:30pm. Sessions for current clients can be booked online (stonetree.clientsecure.me) up to 2 months ahead.

I was referred to you but you're not accepting clients. What gives?

I went into private practice with the clear decision to prioritize care over profits or quantity. While there are certain business realities that can't be avoided, I constantly balance the amount of need and requests with providing quality service. Even though the amount of sessions I hold in a week is above average, providing more options for sessions when you are a client means I have to see less people overall. 

Can you add me to your waitlist?

I believe that the standard practice regarding waitlists is great for businesses, good for therapists (mostly) but not the best method for clients. It typically means signing up for a first appointment months in advance (for established or in-network therapists) which, because it's difficult to predict needs that far in advance, results in infrequent sessions after the waiting period. At Stonetree if we have space we make it available and that way we can provide access more quickly, reliably and frequently. It also means we don't spend hours calling after people on the waitlist that are no longer available or have found someone else and therefore we have more appointments available for active clients.

In my personal time…

Outside of the office I look forward to getting out of town and going camping with my wife and two dogs. I enjoy reading and, when time permits, I play a little piano or guitar. If I had to change jobs I’d probably look into audio engineering.

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