Counseling

                   I am licensed by the Kentucky State Board of Psychology to practice clinical psychology.  I have been in private practice in the Louisville area for over 25 years, and I have been privileged to work with over a thousand couples, three thousand individuals, and a few hundred families.  As an experienced practitioner, I provide: 

Clinical psychologists are specially trained in the theories, diagnostic tools and psychological treatment approaches that research has proven to be successful in helping people learn to live happier, more fulfilling lives.  Psychologists are not licensed to prescribe or administer medications, although I can facilitate a referral to a physician when medication seems likely to help you get more out of our sessions.  My qualifications for clinical practice include:

        Counseling by Webcam

        Counseling by telephone or webcam may be done by appointment,  billed at smaller (5-minute) increments.  Telephone or webcam consultation costs $120 per hour. The basic minimum for a scheduled telephone or webcam contact is $30 for 15 minutes, with $10 per 5 minutes after that.  The technology I use for webcam interviews is Skype, which is a free set-up with free minutes over your computer.  Clients will need to arrange this ahead of time, when we can discuss the limits of confidentiality inherent in using the internet as our vehicle for conversation.            

Life Coaching

                    After the problems that led to the start of counseling have been substantially resolved, intensive psychotherapy can reach a comfortable plateau.  Attention generally shifts more toward maintaining personal balance, spiritual harmony, proactive parenting, and progress toward long-term life goals. 

            To address these concerns, I am offering life coaching for clients who seem to have reached an experience of wellness, and who may want to continue working with me beyond their active phase of exploring and solving their problems.

Personality Testing

            As an ongoing part of either counseling or life coaching, my clients and I often want to deepen our understanding of what's going on inside.  I have been very well trained in personality testing, and it is an enjoyable and constructive experience for most of the people who work with me.  Each instrument costs $40, and includes both a written summary and verbal feedback recorded for you in my office.  The following four instruments are the ones I use most often:

The Personality Research Form         This 352-item true-false test measures 20 needs or drives in your personality.  I use it when folks want us both to know what they do and don't like to be, and when they want new ways to tell others about it.  It measures:

Achievement            Aggressiveness            Asking for Help      

Assertiveness          Defensiveness              Definite Planning       

Fellowship                Helpfulness                    Impulsivity     

Independence          New Experiences        Orderliness

Openmindedness   Playfulness                    Playing it Safe              

Popular Approval    Public Attention           Sensual Awareness   

Submissiveness      Work Endurance

Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory         175 true-false items show tendencies to create problems for self and others.  It measures similarities to people who have been diagnosed to have various mental, emotional, behavioral, and personality disorders.  It is a big help to see what might be undermining progress in life, and can show when taking medication can bring positive results.  It measures attitudes toward taking the test (validity), and the following Axis 2 clinical personality patterns (in parentheses is a layman's description):

Schizoid (Burned Out), Avoidant (On Guard), Depressive, Dependent (People-pleasing), Histrionic (Superficial Charm and Drama), Narcissistic (Image Management), Antisocial (Sneaky Rebellion), Sadistic (Aggressive Toughness), Compulsive (Rigid Perfectionism), Negativistic (Passive-aggressive), and Masochistic (Self-defeating).  Extreme scores indicate personality disorders.  These personality patterns are often seen as ego-syntonic, and typically bother others more than the client.

Then it measures the Axis 1 symptoms that are bothering the test-taker.  It indicates both tendencies toward and current symptoms of the three types of major disorders:  Thought disorders like schizophrenia, Mood disorders (major depression, mania, and bipolar illness), and Delusional disorders such as paranoia.  Separate scales measure the severity of Anxiety symptoms (phobias, panic disorder), Somatoform (conversion disorders, psychosomatic and stress-related physical problems), Dysthymia (mild depression), Alcohol and Drug Abuse/Dependence, and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (long-term after-effects from past trauma). 

Strong Interest Inventory             317 multiple choice questions are designed to show what will be the enduring patterns of interest in all the various fields of employment.  Its primary use is in choosing vocations, whether to go to college, or even what to major in at a university.  It is also helpful in choosing the setting and motivational conditions within a career that will produce optimal effectiveness.  This test also helps people look at their leisure life, suggesting avocational activities that are likely to be most fulfilling.  This can be very useful in planning retirement, or helping couples have more fun together.

The Character Assessment Scale        225 true-false items.  I am the author of this test, but it was presented at APA's annual convention in Los Angeles, and it has been used in six continents across the world.   It measures the seven deadly sins plus a lie scale, and as a proactive challenge, it also shows the adaptive counterpart attitudes.  Handouts are available for devotional study with biblical passages for each of the eight content areas.  The CAS shows positive and negative uses of eight moral resources:

        Character                    Moral                   Character

        Weaknesses              Resources          Strengths 

         Denial                          Truth                    Honesty

         Vanity (Pride)             Respect              Humility

         Envy                             Concern             Compassion

         Resentment                Anger                  Peacemaking

         Greed                           Money                 Resourcefulness

         Laziness                     Time / Energy    Enthusiasm

         Lust                              Sexuality            Sexual Integrity

         Gluttony                      Body / Health     Physical Fitness

Public Speaking

        Topics for Church Groups                  

Coping with Difficult People                                              

Inviting God’s Love Life into Your Marriage                    

The Seven Deadly Sins and Lively Virtues                    

Moral Conflicts in the Church or Family                             

Settling Grievances at Work or at Church                         

The Bible’s 4 Models for Family Relationships                

3 Worldviews as Stages of Spiritual Growth                    

A Christian Approach to Diet and Exercise                     

Sexual Addiction:  Causes, Effects, Cures                     

Pornography and Infidelity on the Computer                    

(Topics in italics can be weekend retreats)                 

        Topics for Single Adult Groups

Recovering from Heartbreaks in Love

Relationships as Living Creations

Sex before Marriage:  Counting the Cost

Harnessing (and yet Enjoying) the Sex Drive

Nonsexual Intimacy:  Closeness that Lasts

The Five Seasons of Love Relationships

How Living Together Hurts Marriage

Love Life for the Widowed and Divorced

Negotiating the Terms of your Relationship

Four Models for Romance in Dating