• Do you experience anxiety or depression or other life struggles?
• Have you wanted to reach out to a counselor, but worry that they will not understand your level of commitment to a faith-based life?
• Do you feel anxious or overwhelmed with trying to balance the responsibilities of church, home, and career?
• Are there frequent times where you feel inadequate or struggle with perfectionism?
• Does loneliness creep in, even at church events, because you feel so different from those around you, who seem to have it all figured out?
• Are you embarrassed or scared to ask some of your deeper questions if they seem to conflict with other’s opinions about Gospel standards

You can request a specific appointment time that fits your schedule. Once confirmed, you can complete all New Patient Intake paperwork online as well.

Having the Gospel in your life is a beautiful gift, so why don’t you feel good? Perhaps you wonder how the Plan of Happiness could possibly include the trials you are going through. You struggle to make sense of it all and maintain your faith.

Many Members Have Similar Struggles

Even though we are living with “an increase in Light and Knowledge”, we are still mortal human beings. We are subject to all the “normal” painful parts of life, such as illness, grief, and loss. Members experience anger, sadness, frustration, fear, guilt, and despair just like our non-member counterparts. We juggle the pressures of parenting, schooling, employment, and other obligations, while also trying to make time for our service in the Church. The competing responsibilities can be overwhelming. Sometimes we add an extra layer of unhelpful guilt or shame when we expect unreasonable things for ourselves : to be happy, calm, and enlightened all of the time simply because we have the Gospel in our lives.

 When we are struggling, we may find it difficult to connect with the very people and activities that typically provide support and relief! Part of this is the way all intense unpleasant emotions can dull our experience of spiritual things. But it is also due to the social culture that can creep into our church environment — that we must present only our best self at church and hide our struggles. We may fear judgement from our usual friends, because we forget that they are imperfect human beings too. Sometimes it seems like everyone else seems to have it all pulled together. We forget that Sunday best is not reflective of our week long experience, for us or them!

The good news is that with the help of a compassionate and experienced LDS counselor, you can feel better. You can get back in touch with the knowledge that you are a uniquely talented and loved child of God, in spite of the struggles present in our daily lives.

Working with a Counselor Familiar with LDS Doctrine Can Help Bridge the Gap

 As a licensed psychologist, my primary focus is on providing a supportive and non-judgmental environment that allows people to explore their struggles, regardless of their spiritual or religious background. I have worked with people from many religious backgrounds, along with atheists and agnostics. I am comfortable meeting people wherever they are on their spiritual journey. Many times it is never even a topic of therapy.

However, during my almost 20 years in private practice, I often found that my clients wanted to discuss how their faith intersected with their struggles. Frequently it would be a source of strength, but sometimes it was a source of confusion, conflict, and pain. They were doing everything “right” yet were burdened with insecurities and false guilt that only made things worse.

Your struggles may not have anything to do with your membership in the Church. You may just prefer to work with a professional who understands and respects the whole picture. It can be helpful to not have to leave out the faith-based aspect of your life as you talk with an LDS counselor.

But You May Still Have Questions About Working With an LDS Counselor.

Will you judge me if I discuss ideas that are different that are presented by standard Gospel ideas?

Absolutely not. The hallmark of counseling is to have a supportive, nonjudgmental environment to explore any fears or struggles you are having. This includes any issues related to your faith or experiences in or out of the Church. The one thing worse than your struggle, may be the loneliness or self-imposed guilt you have while keeping it to yourself.

Will counseling with you just feel like another church meeting? Will you “preach” the Gospel answers to me?

No. I am certainly comfortable discussing how you experience Gospel recommendations related to your struggles, but you would not be considering counseling if another church meeting was what you were looking for. In fact, it most likely won’t be brought up unless YOU want to talk about it.

Do I really need counseling? Won’t everything be fine if I just read my scriptures, go to church, and pray regularly?

These are certainly important anchor habits in anyone’s life. They are good practices to have regardless of our circumstance or struggle. But life is complex and we each walk our own journey. Philosophically, there are a lot of unknowns that we have not been given exact answers to. Sometimes it takes more than faith to overcome our struggles.

Practically, no matter how consistent we are in following those guidelines, we will still have need for other sources of information and assistance. For example, like going to the dentist, auto mechanic, travel agent, tax adviser, or other professional. Although the Gospel gives us the most important answers in life, it does not answer all areas that we face in mortality.

But I live really far away from the closest LDS Family Services location? How does this work?

Although I am not an employee of LDS Family Services, I have worked for them in the past, and accept referrals from them as needed.

Therefore, regardless of how far away you live, I am able to provide the same professional level of services that you would receive if you came to my office and met with me face to face. You only need to have reliable internet access (for laptop or smart phone), and a private location. I have met with people on their lunch hour or while children are napping. They connect from their home, car, garage, or wherever they can find that allows for private communications.

Do I need my Bishop’s referral?

No. Your Bishop can reach out to me if the Church is helping pay a portion of your bill, or if you want me to have contact with him (you would sign a release of information for this). Otherwise, it is just like any other appointment you would make in your life. Your sessions are private and I am bound by the same HIPPA and ethical guidelines to safeguard your privacy as any other client.