My background.
I grew up in Dallas and attended the University of Texas at Austin where I graduated with Special Honors in Psychology in 1983. I pursued my graduate studies at the University of North Texas in Denton, an excellent program for training psychology students to become practitioners. Helping teenagers and families became an interest of mine when I volunteered as a Young Life leader at a local high school. I also worked on adolescent and adult inpatient units at Timberlawn Hospital, Austin State Hospital and Green Oaks Hospital during my undergraduate and graduate school years. In 1986, I earned a Masters degree in Counseling Psychology at North Texas, including a clinical practicum at the Southwest Family Institute. I was accepted into an internship in Clinical Psychology in 1987 at the VA Medical Center in Palo Alto, California, renowned for its superb clinical training. I completed rotations in the Marriage and Family Clinic, Day Treatment Program for Schizophrenia, Pain Management Clinic, Sexual Dysfunction Clinic, and Outpatient Clinic for Veterans with Major Depression and PTSD. Following internship, I returned to the Dallas area to complete my dissertation on Type A behavior and it's influence on career paths. In 1988, I accepted a full time position at Willowbrook Psychiatric Hospital in Waxahachie, Texas as a therapist on the adolescent unit. I also began seeing teens and their parents in outpatient therapy after they left the hospital.
I completed my doctoral degree in Counseling Psychology in 1989 from the University of North Texas with a specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy. In 1990, I was licensed to practice independently in the state of Texas and began my private outpatient practice. After leaving Willowbrook Hospital for private practice, I continued to see some inpatient clients at Timberlawn Hospital, Brookhaven Hospital, Green Oaks Hospital and the Seay Behavioral Health Center. I also accepted a part time position as Consulting Psychologist for the Buckner Children's Home. My role at Buckner encompassed training and supervising caseworkers, as well as providing evaluation and therapy to Buckner residents.
Over the last 33 years, my practice has grown to be less about hospital work and primarily as outpatient therapy to adults, couples, adolescents and families. While I have taken some time to teach and write, my passion for helping people has led to a full week of providing counseling for people with all types of issues from mild to severe. I believe every person has internal difficulties in life at one time or another, and people benefit greatly from having a trained professional to help them sort out issues with sound, objective feedback. This feedback can be painful at times, but is needed to promote self-awareness, personal growth and healthy relationships. Some of my most satisfying work is with those who have fallen hard, but are ready to get up and learn from their mistakes.
I have worked with many wonderful people over the years, some of whom others might consider unworthy of help. I see each person as uniquely made and created with a purpose. Some times my goal is to help that person discover their purpose and see their God given value. Other times it is to simply to help them manage a crisis or equip them with life skills not yet learned. It is a blessing to see the growth and maturity in people as I work with them over time. Some of the "least of these" end up having the most fulfilling lives.
When not working, I am happily married to Mary Martin, who happens to be a Licensed Professional Counselor. We have three great children (despite them having two therapists for parents) who have dared me to face my fears and go scuba diving with them in Cozumel, whitewater rafting in the Carolinas and paragliding in Austria. My favorite form of personal therapy is cycling around White Rock Lake on a beautiful day.
I completed my doctoral degree in Counseling Psychology in 1989 from the University of North Texas with a specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy. In 1990, I was licensed to practice independently in the state of Texas and began my private outpatient practice. After leaving Willowbrook Hospital for private practice, I continued to see some inpatient clients at Timberlawn Hospital, Brookhaven Hospital, Green Oaks Hospital and the Seay Behavioral Health Center. I also accepted a part time position as Consulting Psychologist for the Buckner Children's Home. My role at Buckner encompassed training and supervising caseworkers, as well as providing evaluation and therapy to Buckner residents.
Over the last 33 years, my practice has grown to be less about hospital work and primarily as outpatient therapy to adults, couples, adolescents and families. While I have taken some time to teach and write, my passion for helping people has led to a full week of providing counseling for people with all types of issues from mild to severe. I believe every person has internal difficulties in life at one time or another, and people benefit greatly from having a trained professional to help them sort out issues with sound, objective feedback. This feedback can be painful at times, but is needed to promote self-awareness, personal growth and healthy relationships. Some of my most satisfying work is with those who have fallen hard, but are ready to get up and learn from their mistakes.
I have worked with many wonderful people over the years, some of whom others might consider unworthy of help. I see each person as uniquely made and created with a purpose. Some times my goal is to help that person discover their purpose and see their God given value. Other times it is to simply to help them manage a crisis or equip them with life skills not yet learned. It is a blessing to see the growth and maturity in people as I work with them over time. Some of the "least of these" end up having the most fulfilling lives.
When not working, I am happily married to Mary Martin, who happens to be a Licensed Professional Counselor. We have three great children (despite them having two therapists for parents) who have dared me to face my fears and go scuba diving with them in Cozumel, whitewater rafting in the Carolinas and paragliding in Austria. My favorite form of personal therapy is cycling around White Rock Lake on a beautiful day.