Confidential therapy in Benicia, Ca for adults, older teens, and professionals carrying significant responsibility.
“Smile, Breathe and go slowly”
-Thich Nhat Hanh
WHEN LIFE LOOKS FINE FROM THE OUTSIDE
Life can look successful on the outside while feeling heavy on the inside. Many of the people I work with are accustomed to carrying a great deal of responsibility. They may be professionals, business owners, first responders, attorneys, healthcare providers, public servants, fathers, or others who spend much of their lives taking care of people, solving problems, and staying composed under pressure. Over time, the weight of that responsibility can begin to show up as anxiety, depression, burnout, emotional numbness, irritability, or strain in important relationships.
Rather than simply managing symptoms, we'll work together to better understand the patterns that keep you feeling stuck while developing practical skills to regulate your nervous system, navigate stress with greater confidence, and reconnect with the parts of yourself that may have been overshadowed by responsibility.
Many of my clients have become exceptionally good at functioning despite feeling overwhelmed. They continue to perform at work, support their families, and meet the expectations of others while quietly feeling exhausted or disconnected. Therapy creates an opportunity to slow down, gain perspective, and build a more sustainable way of living without sacrificing the values and responsibilities that matter most to you.
“Therapy offers a confidential space where you no longer have to carry everything alone.”
WHAT THERAPY CAN OFFER
OUR WORK TOGETHER
This work isn't about becoming someone different. It's about helping you respond to life's challenges with greater clarity, resilience, and intention. Together we'll address the thoughts, emotions, and behaviors that no longer serve you while strengthening the qualities that have carried you this far.
Pain, stress, and uncertainty are part of being human. You don't have to face them in isolation. My goal is to provide a thoughtful, compassionate, and practical therapeutic relationship where you feel understood, challenged when appropriate, and supported as you build a life that feels more balanced, connected, and genuinely your own.
At its core, therapy is an opportunity to develop one of life's most meaningful abilities: the capacity to be fully present for yourself, the people you love, and the life you've worked so hard to build.
THE GOAL
At its core, therapy is an opportunity to develop one of life's most meaningful abilities: the capacity to be fully present for yourself, the people you love, and the life you've worked so hard to build.
“You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.”
— Jon Kabat-Zinn
Every therapist's journey is shaped by the people they've met, the work they've done, and the experiences that have changed them.
MY APPROACH
For much of my career, I've had the privilege of sitting with people during some of the most difficult moments of their lives. I've worked with victims of violent crime, incarcerated individuals, adolescents, families in crisis, and people carrying extraordinary responsibility in their personal and professional lives. Those experiences have shaped not only the therapist I became, but the kind of practice I wanted to build—one grounded in trust, genuine human connection, practical wisdom, and deep respect for privacy and confidentiality.
MY STORY
My own story began in the 1980s. I grew up in a home with plenty of energy, strong personalities, and a clear sense of responsibility. My dad worked late nights as a police officer while my mom somehow balanced a full-time career with remarkable strength and presence. My brother and I spent most of our childhood testing limits, getting into trouble now and then, and learning resilience the way many kids did—
through scraped knees, hard conversations, and figuring things out together. Looking back, those early years gave me a lasting appreciation for family, responsibility, and the many ways people learn to cope with life's challenges.
As a teenager in the 1990s, music became my home. Live shows, guitars, friendships, and long conversations helped me find my footing during a time when I was still trying to understand where I belonged. Like many people, I learned some of life's lessons the hard way. Those experiences gave me empathy for people who are doing their best while still finding their way.
DISCOVERING MY CALLING
Around the turn of the millennium, everything changed. While taking the scenic route through college, I began working in a group home for boys who had experienced significant trauma and instability. At night, I'd read stories, tuck them into bed, and witness how even small moments of consistency and care could begin rebuilding trust. Somewhere during those years I realized I wanted to spend my life understanding suffering—and helping people move through it.
BUILDING A FOUNDATION
That calling led me to Paradise Community Counseling Center, where I spent nearly eight years working with children, adolescents, and families. I helped develop a special education classroom where emotional regulation often had to come before academics. I facilitated groups, worked closely with parents, and even published a book of poetry with an incredibly talented group of teenagers. Those years taught me about attachment, family systems, addiction, resilience, and the remarkable capacity people have to heal when they feel understood.
SUPPORTING OTHERS THROUGH CRISIS
In 2010, I joined the San Francisco District Attorney's Office, supporting victims of violent crime as they navigated some of the most painful experiences imaginable. It was meaningful work that demanded both compassion and steadiness. During that time, I worked with a Golden Retriever named Faber. He accompanied me as a courthouse facility dog, providing comfort to children affected by trauma. It was also there that I met my wife, who was working as a paralegal in the Domestic Violence Unit. Together we eventually settled in Benicia and began raising our family.
A few years later, I began facilitating domestic violence offender treatment groups in the evenings. That experience deepened my understanding of accountability, relationships, shame, and the complexity of lasting change. It challenged me to see people honestly—not only through the harm they had caused, but also through their capacity to take responsibility and grow.
“This is the real secret of life- to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now. And instead of calling it work, realize it is play.”
— Alan Watts
A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING
In 2017, I joined the mental health team at San Quentin State Prison. I found a sense of belonging there sooner than I expected. Alongside thoughtful colleagues, I worked with men serving lengthy sentences, facilitated creative writing groups, exchanged letters with college students studying psychology and criminal justice, and often found myself sketching during the day before painting late into the evening after my children were asleep.
Around that same time, I began studying mindfulness more intentionally through the work of Jon Kabat-Zinn, Thich Nhat Hanh, and Sam Harris. Their teachings helped me cultivate a quieter, more present way of living that continues to influence both my personal life and my work with clients.
WHAT I’VE LEARNED
“People often carry far more than the world can see.”
Over the years, one lesson has remained remarkably consistent. Whether someone is an attorney, a first responder, a business owner, a healthcare professional, a parent, or a teenager, people often carry far more than the world can see. They become the dependable one. The problem solver. The protector. The person everyone else leans on. Eventually, carrying that much responsibility can begin to feel lonely.
GOOD LIFE THERAPY
After years working in environments shaped by trauma, violence, and crisis, I knew I wanted to create something different. In 2021, I opened Good Life Therapy in Benicia—a practice intentionally designed to be calm, welcoming, and deeply respectful of privacy. Many of my clients appreciate the discretion of private-pay therapy, where our work can focus on their personal goals rather than the requirements of an insurance company. Whether you're navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, burnout, relationship stress, or simply feeling disconnected from yourself, my hope is to offer a place where you can speak honestly without needing to perform or carry everything alone.
Today, my work is shaped by all of these experiences—the intensity, the humor, the relationships, the creativity, the mistakes, the lessons, and the belief that meaningful change happens when people feel genuinely understood.
I don't believe therapy is about becoming someone entirely different. I believe it's about rediscovering the parts of yourself that have been buried beneath responsibility, stress, or pain.
“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: The last of the human freedoms–To choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances.”
— Victor Frankl
SERVICES I OFFER
IN-PERSON THERAPY FOR TRANSITIONAL-AGE YOUNG ADULTS (AGES 16-24)
The transition into adulthood can be exciting, confusing, and, at times, overwhelming. Older teens often face increasing academic pressure, changing friendships, family conflict, questions about identity, and growing expectations for independence. These challenges can contribute to anxiety, depression, stress, low self-esteem, emotional overwhelm, or feeling disconnected.
I provide in-person therapy for older teens (ages 16+) in my Benicia office. Meeting face-to-face allows us to build a strong therapeutic relationship, develop practical coping skills, and create a safe, supportive environment where meaningful conversations can take place without the distractions of a screen.
For more than 10 years, I have worked specifically with transitional-age youth (ages 16–24) in a variety of roles, including providing individual therapy, case management, facilitating therapeutic groups, and developing safe, supportive treatment spaces in both community and educational settings. This experience has given me a deep understanding of the unique developmental, emotional, and social challenges that arise during this stage of life. Whether navigating high school, college, work, relationships, or increasing independence, I strive to meet each young person where they are with compassion, authenticity, and respect.
Every teenager is different. Therapy is tailored to each individual's unique strengths, personality, and goals while helping them build emotional resilience, improve communication, regulate difficult emotions, and navigate life's challenges with greater confidence.
My goal is to create a welcoming space where teens feel respected, understood, and supported as they develop the skills, confidence, and self-awareness needed to move successfully into adulthood.
THERAPY FOR ADULTS
If you're considering therapy, you've likely been carrying something for quite some time. For many people, reaching out isn't an impulsive decision—it's one that comes after months, or even years, of trying to manage stress, anxiety, depression, burnout, relationship challenges, trauma, or the quiet feeling that you've been holding everything together for too long.
My hope is to make the process feel clear, comfortable, and straightforward. Beginning therapy doesn't have to be intimidating. It starts with a conversation.
Finding the right therapist is one of the most important parts of the process. Beyond education and experience, every therapist brings a different personality, style, and way of working. I created this website to give you an authentic sense of who I am and how I approach therapy, allowing you to make an informed decision about whether we might be a good fit.
Our first step is a complimentary 15-minute phone consultation. We'll talk about what brings you to therapy, answer any questions you may have, and discuss what you're hoping to achieve. If it feels like a good fit for both of us, we'll schedule an initial assessment and begin developing an individualized plan that reflects your goals, values, and unique circumstances.
Whether you're seeking support for the first time or returning to therapy after many years, my goal is to provide a thoughtful, collaborative, and confidential environment where you feel understood, respected, and supported from the very beginning.
WHO I WORK BEST WITH
You may recognize yourself in the people I work with. Many are professionals, business owners, first responders, attorneys, healthcare providers, public servants, parents, or older teens who carry significant responsibility in their daily lives. They are often dependable, hardworking, and accustomed to putting the needs of others before their own. From the outside, they appear successful and capable, yet privately they may be struggling with anxiety, depression, burnout, trauma, chronic stress, emotional exhaustion, or relationship challenges. Many have become skilled at functioning despite feeling overwhelmed and are looking for more than symptom relief—they want to feel present, connected, and engaged in their lives again. They value thoughtful, practical therapy, meaningful relationships, and a private, confidential space where they can speak openly, be genuinely understood, and work toward lasting change.
Individual Therapy for Adults and Teens
BOOK AN APPOINTMENT
Taking the first step can feel difficult. If you're considering therapy, I invite you to reach out. I offer a complimentary 15-minute consultation to learn more about what you're navigating, answer your questions, and help you determine whether my approach feels like the right fit. Together, we'll discuss how therapy can support your goals in a private, confidential, and personalized setting.