When I opened my psychotherapy practice, I worked with individuals and couples on improving their relationships, overcoming depression and anxiety, getting clean from addictions, and healing from past trauma. As a psychotherapist, my focus was on treating mental illness, and helping individuals and couples improve their lives by treating and resolving the symptoms of mental health disorders. Over time, professional psychotherapy can dramatically change your life. Your symptoms resolve, you begin to heal, and soon, you are ‘getting better’. Eventually, your needs and desires start to change. No longer in need of psychotherapy per se, questions arise, such as "How do I continue my personal growth? How do I increase my happiness and maintain contentment? How do I define and reach new life goals?" At this stage, you are ready to begin life coaching. In life coaching, I do not focus on diagnosing and treating mental illness. Life coaching focuses on individual & relational growth, life & professional change, and increasing happiness & satisfaction. No longer doctor and patient, the coaching relationship is a partnership, a relationship between equals. We work as partners, focused on your future, on creating the life you want to lead, and on doing what is necessary to achieve your new life goals. Prior to my career as a clinical psychotherapist and life coach, I spent many years conducting psychotherapy research, and teaching clinical methodology at the University of Chicago, the University of Wisconsin, and the Illinois School of Professional Psychology.