Individual and Group Psychotherapy in
Washington, DC
The son of American parents, I grew up overseas,
mostly in Beirut, Lebanon, and Tehran, Iran, but also spent significant
time in other Middle East countries, as well as India, Belgium, and Italy.
My childhood overseas and my experiences growing up as American outside
of the US continues to have a strong impact on me.
In 1979 I returned to the US for college and graduated from Wake Forest University. I received my graduate degree in counseling from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. My studies at Naropa included the traditional coursework in counseling skills and theory, and also incorporated class work and experiential work in Buddhist psychology, exploring how contemplation and meditation can inform and deepen traditional Western psychotherapy techniques.
After graduating, I moved to New York City and there worked at Payne Whitney — Westchester, and then for the American Red Cross as a senior supervisor at their Manhattan Emergency Family Center on 42nd Street. Both places gave me ample opportunity to work with crisis and trauma, as well as deepen my skills in assessment, individual, and group work.
In 1996 I moved to Washington DC and became the Director of Social Services for Miriam’s Kitchen. There, I developed a case management and housing program for the homeless mentally ill. During that time I also began my private practice, seeing clients in the evening. In September 2002, I moved into private practice full time.