My Story

In 2002 I started my first internship at Paradise Community Counseling Center. I would develop life-long friendships and mentors. For over eight years I developed my foundational skills, working with youth and families in a variety of settings. I helped start a special education classroom; managing behavioral issues was primary and education came second. It was fun and extremely challenging work. I wrote poetry with insanely artistic teens and together we created a book. I learned about family therapy and addiction recovery. I started to inherit wisdom from others' experiences.

In 2010 I moved to San Francisco. I worked with victims of violent crimes at the SF DA's office. I thrived in the complex social environment, wore a tie and commuted by foot. I lived and worked with a Golden Retriever named Faber. He was trained to provide comfort to child assault victims. I met my wife on the 2nd floor. We had a child and moved to Benicia.

In the evenings starting in 2015 I facilitated a domestic violence offender group. I embraced the complexity of people in relationships. I gained another lifelong mentor and friend. For those two years we all learned to be better men. 

In 2017 I started working at San Quentin State Prison as a mental health therapist. I felt at home quickly, working with a motley crew of young social workers and psychologists. I ran a creative writing group for condemned inmates. We exchanged powerful letters with a friend’s Psychology and Criminal Justice class. I started pencil drawing with inmates while at work and painting at night after my family fell asleep. My second son was born. I found experts in meditation Jon Kabat-Zinn, Thich Nhat Hanh, Sam Harris, and learned to live more mindfully. 

The violence exposure over all these years is slowly chipping away at me. It's 2021 and it’s time for a change. I started Good Life Therapy in Benicia and bought a gnome…