Greetings!
My name is Eric. I originally come from the Chicago area but I moved to Denver back in 1993. I currently reside in Aurora with my partner. I share custody of a smart, brave, beautiful and silly little girl. That’s right, it turns out that therapists are human too and get to learn about family dynamics firsthand, not just from books! I enjoy bicycling, television, reading (audiobooks a lot these days), and movies, and am a fairly serious geek culture nerd. You may have seen me lurking at one or more conventions, like StarFest, MileHiCon or ComiCon. I got my bachelor’s degree in philosophy, so I like to keep up on that area in reading and discussion groups as well. I spent some time in the computer field in the past, so I know my way around them a little bit.
I obtained my Master’s Degree in Counseling from the University of Colorado Denver, with a specialization in Couple and Family Therapy. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor with the State of Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (LPC.0017452). I did two internships, one at Noeticus Counseling Center and Training Institute, and the other at CeDAR – Center for Dependency, Addiction, and Rehabilitation, a part of the University of Colorado Hospital system.
At Noeticus, I learned a great deal about trauma and its treatment, including receiving training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). I also took an additional, intensive Level 1 training course in a somatic processing modality called Trauma Dynamics.
At CeDAR, I had an opportunity to work closely with families recovering from addiction and substance use disorders, where one or more members are in recovery. I worked both in the family program and directly with clients. In the family program, we spent a week educating families about addiction, recovery, and family dynamics. In my direct client work, I had the opportunity to meet with partners, couples, and families, to explore their particular story and challenges. I really developed a love of working with couples during this experience, where I was able to apply what I learned about Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT). In private practice now, I have the opportunity to work with people a little deeper, and can even help work on resolving past traumas.
To help with resolving past traumas, I have taken additional training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Internal Family Systems (IFS).
As a fellow human being, I do not mind disclosing that my own family faced a lot of traumas, and that is why I developed an interest in the field. I also felt helped and supported considerably by counseling and therapy in my life. Having walked the journey myself with the help and guidance of another, I feel it is my duty and privilege to do the same for others. I hope to have the honor of joining you on your journey!
Identity and Differences
I do not mind sharing that I identify as a white, male, cis-gendered, heterosexual person, and I aspire to earn and maintain the status of ally to women and the LGBTQIA++ community. I love working with LGBTQIA++ couples and partners! I also consider myself sex-positive, kink-friendly, and polyamory-informed. To be clear in case this raises any questions, I am committed to the ethical standards of my profession, which specify that sexual relationships with current or former clients are off-limits and never appropriate.
Throughout my training and professional experience, I continue to enjoy the honor and privilege of working with people from all walks of life. I strive to learn about each person from the expert, and that is you. While I also try to do my homework to educate myself as much as I can about the basics on all different types of persons and identities, so that I hopefully don’t make too many obvious mistakes or step on your toes, I also know that my knowledge is necessarily incomplete and prone to error – especially if we have never met. Therefore, rather than assuming I know you or what it is like to be you, I do my best to maintain an attitude of openness and willingness to learn; I am curious to know from you what it is like to be you. Please feel free to correct me if I slip up, or expand upon details important to you that I may accidentally gloss over. I look forward to learning all about you!
My Office Space
To see pictures of my therapy office, click here. Note that I am currently seeing clients only via an online/telehealth platform, due to concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.