Professionally, I view psychotherapy to be a process of deep inquiry and self-discovery that engages a clients potential and the inner resources needed to repair and heal emotional wounds of the past; bring clarity, compassion, and the wisdom of insight to the present; and illuminate their way to the future. Therapy can even become an adventurous journey of exploration for hidden treasures of meaning and self-knowledge waiting to be found in the rich and uniquely original landscape of ones lifetime of experience.

As a therapist, I seek to provide a safe and inviting, secure and reliable container of space and time for the process of therapy to unfold. I work from a interpersonal and holistic perspective utilizing dreamwork, visualization, metaphor, archetypal energies, creative expression, ritual, and Voice Dialogue. I bring to this work a rich and varied life experience which includes my fair share of “field research” in the shadow aspects of life. I am comfortable delving into the darker realms of our human experience as well as welcoming the humor and joy that often arises in the celebration of self-discovery. I welcome individuals and couples with issues arising from: addictions and recovery, relationships, depression and anxiety, grief and loss, low self-esteem, adoptee issues, and existential challenges.

I have always felt a deep affinity with nature, and all things wild, and have studied the art of nature observation, tracking and wilderness survival with world class trackers Tom Brown, Jr. and John Stokes. Through my studies of nature and psychology, I have experienced the power that a direct connection to the natural world has to orient, ground, and stabilize my own inner work. I will always seek the integration of nature awareness with the work of psychotherapy.

I received a B.A. in Integral Studies from California Institute of Integral Studies, and my M.A. in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology from John F. Kennedy University in 2007. I have interned at a men’s substance abuse program in Novato, and at the Community Institute for Psychotherapy in San Rafael. I have trained extensively with Drs. Hal and Sidra Stone in the Psychology of Selves and in facilitating the Voice Dialogue process of working with our many inner “selves”. I have also studied with Angeles Arrien through all levels of training in The Four-Fold Way.

Prior to becoming a psychotherapist, I worked in the business of coordinating and presenting personal growth workshops internationally with my wife, Shakti Gawain, and co-founded Nataraj Publishing, which publishes books on personal growth and spirituality. I farmed avocados and operated Kai Mana, a B&B and retreat center, at our home on Kauai, and was a counselor in the substance abuse and mental health fields for a number of years.

It is not easy being a self-aware, emotion-driven, and spiritually conscious human in today’s world. There is the daily challenge of coping with reality, and the fact of existence, as well as the pressure, demands, and complexities of being in relationship with others, family, and society. At times one can easily, if not inevitably, find oneself struggling with feeling lost and alone, afraid, emotionally hurt and confused, angry, depressed, or trapped in old patterns of behavior, thoughts, and emotion that reward only with the experience of suffering and despair.

In those, or any other time of need, I am here to help.