Welcome to the FAQ page! If you’re new here, you probably have a few burning questions before diving into therapy. Here are some answers to the things people tend to ask me in our first session. If your question isn’t answered here, just ask—I promise I don’t bite (unless you’re made of chocolate, then all bets are off).
Tell me about yourself.
I’m knocking on the door of 60 years old. My wife, Jennifer, and I have been married for 33 years this May (yes, she deserves a medal). We have five kids, ranging in age from 23 to 11, which means we’ve been parenting for a really long time and will be for a really long time.
I’m also an ordained priest in the Anglican Church of North America. If you’re not familiar, Anglicanism is a mainline Christian tradition that dates back to the 1500s in England. But don’t worry—I won’t be waving incense at you during our sessions (unless you specifically request that). You can learn more about my background on the "About Me" page.
How did you get into this?
Great question. I grew up going to church and became a Christian at 16 through Young Life (a high school ministry). I’ve always been drawn to helping others, listening well, and offering pastoral counseling.
But let’s get real for a second—my journey to this work wasn’t all smooth sailing. I struggled with pornography as a way to cope with life’s challenges. I wanted to stop but couldn’t. I kept it hidden, even during the early years of my marriage, until I finally reached a breaking point. Through integrating my Christian faith with the principles of 12-Step recovery, I found real freedom and lasting sobriety.
Then, I discovered Internal Family Systems (IFS), and it clicked. It made so much sense that I knew I had to bring it to others. So here I am, helping people like you untangle their inner worlds and find healing.
How do you explain IFS?
IFS (Internal Family Systems) was developed by Richard Schwartz about 40 years ago and is rooted in Family Systems Theory. Here’s the gist:
At our core, we all have a Self—our truest, most authentic being. Christians might call this the image of God within us.
When we’re in Self-leadership, we embody qualities like calm, curiosity, compassion, confidence, courage, connection, creativity, and clarity.
However, life happens. Trauma, stress, and pain create different "parts" within us.
Exiles are the wounded parts that hold pain.
Protectors step in to keep those Exiles from overwhelming us. Protectors come in two main forms:
Managers try to keep everything under control.
Firefighters rush in to numb the pain (think food, alcohol, sex, doom scrolling—whatever gets the job done fast).
The goal of IFS is to help all these parts work together rather than against each other.
Want to see the guy who created it explain it himself? Check out this video of Dick Schwartz breaking it down.
How long will this take?
It depends! You’ll start learning about your dominant parts within about 8 sessions. Healing can start happening within that time, depending on how willing your Managers and Firefighters are to cooperate.
After that, we can personalize a plan. Some people like to continue weekly, while others prefer to space things out. We’ll figure out what works best for you and your system.
How much does it cost?
Sessions are $150 for 50 minutes. I also offer different packages and pricing options depending on what you’re looking for. Check out the Fees and Payments page for more details.