I am the owner/psychotherapist of Westside Counseling & Life Coaching.
What do you do there and/or what are you responsible for?
It's a private practice and I provide individual, couples and group counseling for adults. Two areas I specialize in are anger management and domestic-violence offender and victim treatment. However, the biggest chunk of my time is spent, it seems, on making sure the documentation is complete for the clients that are court-ordered into treatment.
How long have you been doing this kind of work (total)? How long on the Westside?
Since 1995 (12 years). I was downtown for about 5 years and then moved my office to the Westside. I’ve lived on the Westside for 14 years.
What do you like best about it (other than quitting time)?
I’m a people person and that’s what drew me into this field. Offering what help I can. Seeing people make changes in their own character and in their personal and intimate relationships is very satisfying.
If you could change one thing (other than pay), what would it be?
About 70 percent of my practice involves working in domestic-violence counseling. Although the regulations governing domestic-treatment programs are needed, it would be nice if the amount of paperwork was smaller.
What part of your work did your training/education never prepare you for?
The business part – the paperwork, marketing/advertising and documentation. We’re trained to be therapists but not trained to be business people.
What makes working on the Westside special?
It’s something hard to put into words. There’s something about the atmosphere of the Westside. It’s laid back, relaxed, friendly. It has a feeling of permanence and stability that I feel reinforces and enhances the work I do as a therapist.
“What do you do?” is a regular feature in the Westside Pioneer. If you know someone who has an interesting job on the Westside (but doesn’t live here), he/she might be a candidate for this column! If you know someone who might qualify, give us a call at 471-6776.
