“There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.”
~ Leonard Cohen

I grew up in Columbus, Ohio. My dad was an alcoholic who quit drinking when I was six. He was a good man who loved me and provided for his family, but he never really got “sober.” I began drinking in my early 20’s and found the precious gift of recovery 18 years later.
I began my career in mental health in 1988, working as a therapist in a community mental health center. I moved to Florida in 1993, where I ran substance abuse programs, was Administrator of a public psychiatric hospital, and in 1996 founded the first 24-hour walk-in clinic for substance abuse and mental health in the state of Florida.

In 2002, my brother and father died in close succession. When that happened, I looked at my life and realized that I wasn’t following my bliss: what I really loved was working directly with patients. I left the clinic and started a private practice in Sarasota, Florida.
Over the years, I have been active in volunteer work, in an attempt to give back to the community that has given so much to me.
I am blessed with a loving family. I have a daughter, Lauren, and three grandchildren. My brother Greg is a marriage and family counselor in Columbus, Ohio.
I am also a dad to Miles. Miles takes a nap when he needs one, assumes everyone he meets is his friend, and never has a bad day. He may be a better counselor than me. I spend my leisure time engaged in cooking, collecting antiques, restoring my 1930’s bungalow, and reading.