What life events or challenges that you’ve experienced (could be minor, could be major) – whether you’ve experienced them directly or via someone close to you, have had any type of impact on your desire to pursue a career in psychiatry?

As this relates to my career as an Integrative Licensed Mental Health Counselor, as a young man, I wished to overcome the negative programming that was constructed for me throughout my childhood.

How did those events impact you emotionally/morally? How, if at all did those events impact the way you view how our current system teaches us to treat patients with mental health challenges?

The stream of events caused my emotions and self-worth to shrink, which held me back during the early years of my life.  Even though I was performing at a high level, I was not aware of my abilities, potential and accomplishments; I was unable to see myself for who I actually was.

My life experiences and progression has been combined with my Master Level training and studies of multiple post-modern mental health approaches at the Barry University.  This combination has led to my style and approach to mental health counseling.  I seek to look beyond the standardized treatment process in order to increase the possibilities for clients to overcome their mental health challenges.  An integrative multidimensional approach is most effective in my opinion and experience as a professional.  

When and why did you decide to actually focus on practicing Integrative Psychiatry, specifically, and how was your decision shaped by the experiences above?

As an athlete (retired professional race car driver and hard-core competitive road cyclist), my psychotherapy practice has incorporated the combination of both mental health and physical health.  This process began at the initiation of my move into private practice over 10 years ago.  The integration has become more pronounced over the past several years as there is more and more information available that can be applied to the client’s goals.  I have personally experienced and still experience the mental boundaries that limit our progress and perspective.  I believe that it is a lifetime mission to continue to overcome our mental and physical perceived limitations as we continue to expand ourselves.

What methods or practices do you utilize to help individuals get/feel better?

I am well versed in Solution Focused Therapy, CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), Narrative Therapy and Family Systems Therapy.  My practice combines a mixture of these approaches with my own theory of the mind, which I call “The Other Mind.”  There is an educational component within my practice designed for the client to utilize and become an expert in his or her own life.  The integration of the mind and body is always a part of the therapy sessions and treatment plans that I offer to clients.

How did people react when you share this Integrative/Holistic approach with them – whether it be patients or other doctors?

I have found clients to have a very positive and a curious response to the integrative approach.  It is my opinion that clients are attracted to ideas that make sense and help them assemble a more complete package of overall sustained well-being.  I believe that leading by example is one of the key elements in an integrative approach as a mental health counselor.  I am hoping that pulling our community of practitioners together to drive our future towards creating positive instinctive and inherent perspectives that allow people to progress earlier in their lives to a level of sustained well being.