…And So I Dare To Hope…

Achieving a richer and more nuanced understanding of yourself and the world is a bonus benefit! I work with ages from older adolescents up to older adults, both individually and in groups.

I’m honoured to offer these services in person at my Langley office. Videoconferencing may be available to those unable to come in person. As a Psychiatrist, most of my services with the exception of Psychoanalysis are covered under MSP (Medical Services Plan of BC). Please discuss your interest in seeing me with your Family Physician or General Practitioner and have them make a referral to me.

Together we will define what you are seeking and how we can work together to help you to attain your goals. Our work can be done in conjunction with other treatments such as psychopharmacology, group therapy, family therapy and couples’ counseling.

I have had the privilege of being a part of peoples’ lives as a physician, psychiatrist and psychoanalyst for over 35 years. I draw on all that I have learned from patients, from my own education and training, from teaching and supervising and from my own life experiences to inform my practice.

Originally coined “the talking cure” over a century ago by its founder Sigmund Freud, psychoanalysis is the foundation of all the talk therapies. Now, I can feel you tensing up at the mention of Freud, but we’ve come a very long way from his couch in Vienna. Contemporary psychoanalytic theory and practice offers the rare opportunity for profound understanding of our conscious and unconscious experiences.

• Psychoanalysis brings lasting emotional and psychological healing and growth.
• Psychoanalysis transforms the experience of self, others and the world.
• Psychoanalysis enriches and enlivens life.
• Psychoanalysis enables one to live out of their full self, maximizing potential – in this lifetime.

Psychoanalysis typically consists of sessions three to five times per week, and may include using ‘the couch’. Psychoanalytic psychotherapy uses the same theoretical principles and methods of exploration but with less intensity. It can be more practically manageable and is usually covered by MSP, yet is still a highly effective method of treatment.

Please give me a call at my office or email me to arrange initial contact by phone so I can answer any questions you may have and establish time for our first formal meeting.

Please arrange a referral to be sent to me from your Family Physician or General Practitioner.

We’ll start by talking and listening – gleaning an understanding of why you have reached out to me. We will meet several times during this ‘assessment’ phase to better define the nature of your difficulties and if and how I might play a role in helping you. We’ll decide together if we are a ‘good fit’. Sometimes I may suggest you see another professional such as an expert in psycho-pharmacology or expert in shorter-term psychotherapy.

We’ll make a decision about our meeting times and frequency. In person sessions take place in my office in Langley, British Columbia. There may be opportunities for videoconferencing which are covered by MSP. Fees for services not covered by MSP can be negotiated.

Usually people are seen at least one session a week for psychotherapy and three to four times a week for psychoanalysis. Therapy is usually longer term, a year or more.

As I enter the last third of my working life, I find myself, as Erik Erikson described, looking for ways to pass on my some of what I have learned to others. Having worked in a variety of settings including mental health teams, substance abuse treatment facilities, geriatric outreach teams, Riverview Hospital, psychiatry inpatient units and in private practice, I am familiar with the challenges you face as a healer and health practitioner.

I am a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia. I teach Psychoanalysts in training at both Seattle Psychoanalytic Society and Institute (SPSI) and at the Western Canada Psychoanalytic Society and Institute. I have broad experience both treating and providing consultation for health care professionals and psychotherapists.I am a recent graduate of the Vancouver Island University Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy Graduate Certificate Program.

Please feel free to contact me to discuss further. Fees for my services are negotiable.

After completing my undergraduate degree in Physical Education at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, and Medical School at McMaster University in Hamilton, I came to British Columbia, answering the call of the beautiful mountains, ocean, lakes, and rivers. I’ve had the opportunity to provide psychiatric consultation for Outward Bound Canada.