I am an individual, couples, and family therapist at Barclay & Associates in Ames, Iowa. My primary area of expertise is relationship quality, both between partners and among parents and children. My therapeutic style is to listen to clients and to establish a trusting relationship, then to work with clients to develop a plan that will improve their relationships and their lives.
Using a family systems approach, I assist individuals and families to achieve healthy functioning. The family systems approach recognizes that each person interacts with larger systems, including family, work, and the broader community. Rather than diagnosing a problem as existing within a person, family systems theory focuses on identifying and transforming problematic interactions between individuals. When appropriate, I also use solution-focused, cognitive-behavioral, and strength-based approaches with families and individuals.
As a Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE), I have taught family studies courses at Iowa State University and at Des Moines Area Community College. I am a member of the National Council on Family Relations and the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy. I completed my doctoral work at Iowa State University and have published in the Journal of Family Therapy, the Journal of Feminist Family Therapy, and Financial Counseling & Planning, and I am currently the editor for our practice's newsletter.
