I was born and raised in Massachusetts. I received my undergraduate degree in English and American literature from Brown University, and a masters degree in Teaching from Tufts University. I also taught middle and high school English on the East Coast for five years.

I was drawn to becoming a therapist after I began teaching Nonviolent Communication (NVC) and mindfulness meditation in Washington State prisons. Witnessing the transformation of the men inside has given me a greater faith in the possibility of human beings' ability to change, and a greater belief in the beauty and resilience of the human heart.

I received my MA in Systems Counseling from the Leadership Institute of Seattle (LIOS) at Bastyr University. Shortly after graduating I became one of the founding members of the Freedom Project, an organization committed to helping prisoners and former prisoners transition into peacemakers through the teaching of NVC and mindfulness. I began my private practice in psychotherapy in 2000. In addition to seeing clients, I continue to offer training in NVC and I teach workshops in the community on Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), based on the work and research of Jon Kabat-Zinn. I am also on the faculty at LIOS serving as a Systems Consultant offering counseling support to the students going through that MA program.

I have a passion for the power of living an aware and conscious life. I have been practicing Vipassana meditation for twelve years, and my therapy practice is deeply informed by my practice of mindfulness. I consider mindfulness the very center of my life and am always looking for ways of integrating mindfulness practices with psychotherapy.

I am married and have a baby daughter. I am so amazed at how much my relationships with my wife and daughter are such rich and deep paths toward healing, growth, joy and deepening love.

My deepest aspiration is to open my heart as wide as possible, as wide as the world, and to help others to do the same. I believe it is our deepening ability to love and open our hearts that brings us the greatest joy.