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About
The word ‘therapy’ conjures up many feelings.
Arriving at my office, the anxiety builds. Your heart beats faster, and breathing becomes shallow.
“Can I do this? He is a stranger. Is this going to help my marriage? What if I don’t like him? What if he doesn’t like me?”
You turn off your car but sit there, trying to convince yourself that you can go into your first counseling session.
Second-guessing yourself…
As you approach the building’s entrance, you hesitate and ask yourself, “Am I ready to do this? Can I make the changes in my relationship which have caused so much pain over the last year?”
Taking a few breaths, you slowly open the door and realize that you have forgotten the suite number. “Remuda Ranch Counseling, I need to find Remuda Ranch Counseling,” you tell yourself.
As you look around, you see a sign with an arrow pointing down the hall that reads, “REMUDA RANCH COUNSELING, SUITE 105.” At the end of the hall is another sign saying “REMUDA RANCH COUNSELING” with an arrow pointing to the left.
Finally, you find the office, give a sigh of relief, and tentatively knock on the door. Before the door opens, you have one more internal fight – “Go home; he won’t even know you were here. Your relationship is not as bad as friends tell you.”
As you turn to go back to your car, the door opens. There I am, greeting you with a smile and calling you by name. “Please, come in and have a seat.”
It’s not as bad as you thought.
The room is comfortable with mental health posters on the wall, a couple of plants, two chairs and a small sofa, a couple of tables, and a picture of a family and three dogs.
Our conversation starts something like this:
“I am happy that you came today. The commitment a new client makes to end the pain and daily struggles is hard to make.”
“Your decision tells me you want to resolve pain, frustration, shame, confusion, guilt, and hurt. Taking that first step to meet with a stranger and talk about your intimate relationships takes incredible determination and strength. This is probably one of the hardest things you have ever done, and I am so glad that you chose to come to see me.”
You think to yourself, “He gets it; he understands how scary this is for me and the confusing feelings and questions I have. He is thanking me for being strong and coming to see him.”
You take a depth breath and begin to relax as I ask, “How can I help you become the best you possible?”
“Yes,” you think, “Exactly. This is what I want – to become the best me I can become. Therapy is going to help as he understands what I want in my life and relationships.”
About Me
In 2019, my dream of having a private therapy practice came true when I opened Remuda Ranch Counseling Services in San Antonio, Texas.
I have been a Licensed Professional Counselor since 2005, after graduating from Lindenwood University.
After much soul searching and a desire to work for myself, I wanted to bring creativity and fun to a counseling session. Through much prompting and encouragement from my wife, this dream came to fruition.
I strongly believe that it is the helping, compassionate relationship between my clients and me that introduces change. I use the core beliefs of unconditional acceptance, empathy, empowerment, instilling hope, and a genuine desire to help those suffering in their lives.
Working with individuals and couples who want to improve their relationships, families, and themselves is what I love.
Leia and Freddy, my dogs, often accompany me to my office, as it is beneficial for both client and therapist to have their calming influence in session.
During my free time, I love to watch my kids play soccer. I often try to recreate restaurant recipes in the kitchen (with varying degrees of success!).
Despite my limited artistic ability, I love the idea of being an artist (don’t ask to see my paintings; they truly look like a third grader painted them).