About
Ready to Get Unstuck?
Memberships and Associations:
OCD, Anxiety Disorders, and all things Fear. I’m passionate about working with clients who are willing to work hard on areas of life that just aren’t working. After spending several years gaining experience, I found my clinical love.
“Did he just say ‘love’? Isn’t a therapist supposed to be more detached than that?”
You see, I believe that the best therapy is built on both a strong clinical footing- assessment, training, experience, and continual development- while simultaneously standing on personal investment. I love what I do and the people I work with every day.
Anxiety may be reported as the most common clinical domain (more people have some version of anxiety disorders than any other disorder), but if you’ve spent any time looking around for therapists for a specific disorder, you may have discovered that adherence to the evidence base can sometimes be lacking, and for some tools like Exposure Therapy- which is very effective for multiple problems- it is unfortunately used only a minority of the time it is indicated. (You can check out my “ERP 4 OCD- Ultimate Guide to Treating OCD” on YouTube for full coverage on the topic.)
If you’ve come here looking for solutions to get unstuck, I’m here to help. Therapy with me is not a “one-size-fits-all” hammer to a nail. After years of supporting clients’ goals in a myriad of ways, I now treat cases with a predominant goal or blockage related to OCD, Anxiety Disorders, and Fear. There are several other areas of intersection that I am additionally specialized in. Go to “Treatment Areas” to find more on the clinical specifics of each.
Working with a broad range of general issues, my first experience offering face-to-face treatment was in my Master’s level practicum from Dallas Theological Seminary at the Meier Clinics in 2007. It was early in this process that OCD and Anxiety began to catch my attention. After graduation in 2008, I began to run an intensive program for adolescents with substance use problems at The Addicare Group of Texas and shortly after became a Program Therapist offering inpatient and outpatient services at UBH Denton, offering treatment in the co-occurring disorders program (mental health and substance abuse), faith-based program, and general with adults and adolescents.
In 2011, the door to group private practice was opened, and I began my own business with the Haven Counseling group. While general mental health and Addiction were my primary focus in these early years, the undeniable pull towards OCD and Anxiety continued. Meanwhile, I pursued various trainings and further education, including Gottman Level 1 Training, Addiction, career counseling, and was a national speaker on the DSM-5 (the most used manual for mental health disorders worldwide). The range of topics helped to work with the many comorbidities and goals that occur for clients.
A friend and colleague of mine at the group private practice shared with me the name of a local expert in OCD treatment, and as my interest began piquing and my pursuit of helping this population grew, I undertook hiring this person to consult with me and train, specifically in ERP for OCD. I was made aware of the International OCD Foundation’s BTTI training program for OCD and Related Disorders. To say this was a turning point is a gross understatement. After the General BTTI, I was ready to commit to making OCD and Related disorders my key specialization. Today, 90-95% of my given caseload is in OCD, Anxiety, and Related Disorders.
In addition to my specialization, broad treatment experience helps to work quickly with simple cases and also successfully with complex ones. With a high co-occurrence between anxiety and substance abuse, relationship problems, depression and more, you will receive a thorough look into each area that’s important to you. I take a biological-psychological-social-spiritual approach to health, while also personally respecting the values and beliefs of each person who joins the journey. I’m happy to do a deep dive into faith and spirituality, and offer Christ-centered therapy for those who request it- I have clients who integrate spirituality/faith and those who do not who have had excellent outcomes. I commit to staying focused on your clinical work insomuch as our work is a good fit for you.
Whether you simply need a consultation, limited visits to work on short-term goals, or if longer-term therapy is needed, I will make a strong investment. I seek to build your trust and assess our work together regularly. Good treatment is based on good assessment, and a good clinician knows their limits. If we begin work together and it becomes evident that your best outcomes are outside of working with me, I will tell you expediently. I will respect you AND your time, money, and effort by openly communicating recommendations and plans as needed. Bottom Line of what you get in my practice:
- Connection with a leader in the field
- Hands-on, personalized treatment plans unique to each client
- Attention and bandwidth needed to provide the suggested treatment (I do not take on more in my schedule than I can handle)
- Clinician access to some of the world’s leading experts
- Sensitivity towards your beliefs, goals, or any aspect of diversity
- Short-term therapy for most
- Deeply invested in continued education and training
- Extensive expertise in assessment to help identify problems quickly
- Expert referrals for other needs
There are a lot of questions and uncertainties when searching for a therapist. Will I get better? Do I need therapy? Will this work? What can they offer me? Can I solve this on my own? Can I afford this? What can they do differently than I can’t do? Why can’t I just get over this? I hope to be of help. Whether it’s through free training, a blog article, therapy, or just a word of encouragement, I want you to know there is hope.
"You're like a personal trainer for the brain." I like that description.
Training & Experience
~17 years and 18,000 clinical hours
My Master’s in Counseling is from Dallas Theological Seminary, with a prior Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Crown College (Minnesota).
My theoretical orientation is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), integrated at times with concepts and principles from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), Cognitive Therapy (CT), and Gottman Method,
Gaining initial practicum and internship experience at the internationally renowned Meier Clinics in Richardson, skill was developed in both Outpatient and Day Hospital Programs.
I became the Adolescent Program Director for the Addicare Group treating substance abuse before working Inpatient and Outpatient at UBH Denton, where I continued to hone skills in Addiction and General Mental Health. In Private Practice since early 2011, I am the Owner of Dallas Counseling, PLLC. It is my goal to be an expert therapist, writer, and advocate who helps those who are stuck in Anxiety, Fear, and OCD.
I am a member of the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) and licensed as an LPC by the Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors. I have all three levels of BTTI training through the IOCDF: General, Pediatric, and Advanced. This is one of the most advanced offerings available for treating OCD and related disorders. Space Treatment is an additional area of training I received from Dr. Eli Lebowitz at Yale School of Medicine.
I am also a contributing member to the consultation group “DFW OCD Treatment Specialists” (DOTS). I am the DFW Ambassador for OCD Texas (the regional affiliate of the IOCDF), and I serve as a primary member of the Faith & OCD Task Force for the IOCDF.
I have received Gottman Level 1 Training for couples and relationship work and utilize the Gottman checkup when requested in addition to Gottman Method.
I use an array of assessment tools that have multiple symptom dimensions and domains, ranging from depression, stress, anxiety, OCD, tics, BFRBs, career, professional burnout, and much more (see “Treatment Areas” for all major categories).
I am licensed in Texas as an LPC (License #64574), and additionally, I am registered as a Behavioral Telehealth Provider in the state of South Carolina (Registration #817) and in the state of Idaho as a Mental Behavioral Telehealth Counselor (Registration No. MBTCOU-10425).
Enough about some of the technical stuff. The more important reality in therapy is that you’re a person. You have value. You are important. We do many ‘technical’ things and rely strongly on the evidence base, but underlying that all is that you have meaning and worth. I’m here to help (and my family loans me out to do so). 😊
My interests
Yes, I am a person with other interests :)
I live with my beautiful wife, Emily, my children Hattie and Levi, along with our Shepherd mix Fritz. We’re a big fan of time with family, getting outdoors (including travel), and our church community.
A long-time musician and performer, creativity runs in my blood, especially with guitar, piano, and bass/percussion/banjo/whatever is lying around. It took me only 36 years to discover a Fender Stratocaster is the most natural extension of musical expression I’ve ever experienced, though all things music deliver a smile.
Writing on topics close to my heart and advocacy brings me joy, especially if I can have a great cup of coffee concurrently. Stay posted through my newsletter as I have a forthcoming book.
