Every therapist has a story and I’m no exception. Here are a few excerpts from mine: When I was a kid I really wanted to be a pilot. I probably would have taken any sort of flying job, even “flying a cargo plane full of rubber dog sh%t out of Hong Kong” a la Top Gun. However, I found that as I got older I got more and more interested and curious about the human experience. When my friends and I got some time off at our boarding school in West Denver I would go to the central library and take out books on music and the mind, hypnosis, and similar topics that piqued my interest.

Now, 16 years after graduating with a Masters in Couples and Family Counseling from University of Colorado at Denver, I still really like airplanes. My passion for airplanes has taken me on a number of flying lessons and rides in aircraft including helicopters, an ultralight, and a floatplane, and I even worked for a winter de-icing airplanes at Denver International Airport (one of the best jobs I’ve ever had).

However, the human experience has remained my primary passion and interest. I am most interested in how humans experience stressful experiences and how to improve how those experiences are navigated and dealt with. This goes from how do we feel and react when in conflict with our partner all the way to how we respond when we get lost in the wilderness. There are such strong emotions in these situations and how we engage in those moments can make so much of a difference in how we survive them.

In my professional journey I have worked with kids, adults, teens, couples, and families. My orientation is three-fold: 1. How we respond in difficult, stressful, and traumatic experiences; 2. The systems we are a part of - how we are functioning in those systems and those systems are functioning with us; and 3. How your whole body is experiencing and orienting to your life experiences and how your body can support you on your growth journey.

My post-graduate training includes: EMDR, Emotion Focused Couples Therapy, and Hakomi; all of which I use daily in my work with couples, families, and adult individuals. Professional development is a perpetual process and I’m almost always involved in some sort of training or supervision to continue to develop and hone my skills as a therapist.

I live in Israel outside of Jerusalem with my wife and four children. I am also the owner and head guide of the Jewish wilderness outfitter, Avanim Adventures .