I’ve studied philosophy for over two decades and taught it for one. I’ve also spent hundreds of hours under the skilled coaching of experts practicing facilitating transformative dialogues.

I see philosophical counseling as a process that supports personal growth through guided dialogue aimed at facilitating insight, deepening self-understanding and empowering wiser living.

My approach is rooted in empathetic listening, mindful presence, and Socratic engagement---a type of conversation that aims not at teaching, labeling, or telling you what to do, think, or feel, but instead helps bring into awareness the values, beliefs, perceptions, emotions, and default patterns of reaction that shape your interpretation of yourself and the world. 

Most of us do not have others who can deeply listen to us--listening to the heart behind our words, and who can hold without labeling or judging the light and the darkness we might hold bottled up inside. I provide this for my clients, in a way that’s oriented toward personal growth and transformation, and informed by the wisdom of the ancient philosophical traditions.

My Ph.D. (2017) and M.A. (2011) in philosophy are from the University of Oklahoma, and I was certified as a philosophical counselor by the American Philosophical Practitioner’s Association (APPA) in 2023. I meet regularly with a small group of other APPA-certified philosophical counselors to continue deepening our skills and coaching each other, under the supervision of a senior philosophical counselor. I’ve pursued a variety of additional certifications and trainings relevant to philosophical counseling, including:
- Circling Facilitator Training – Level 2 (2-year program), with The Circling Institute (in progress)
- The Art of Circling Practitioner Training – Level 1 (8 month program), with The Circling Institute (2024)
- Dialectic into Dialogos 12-Week Intensive, with Awaken to Meaning (2023)
- Circling and Dialogos, with The Circling Institute (2022)
- The Wisdom Project, with Dr. Iris Stammberger (2022)

In addition to teaching philosophy full-time at Fresno City College and my philosophical counseling practice, I’m also a kettlebell instructor (SFG1, certified through StrongFirst). I’m interested in physical training as a kind of mindfulness practice, and in the parallels between strength of body and strength of the inner self (or what the ancient Greeks would call the soul).