About
Hi, I’m Mack!
Curiosity, creativity, and compassion are the three things that have mattered most to me since I was a little kid. Ever since I became a therapist, I feel like I need to splash cold water in my face to make sure I’m not dreaming. It’s the most fulfilling job I can imagine doing.
As for “that’s all well and good, big guy, but I need some documentation,” I got my master’s in psychology at Antioch University after years as a professional writer of one type or another. Before that, I inhaled a lot of books about psychology, life, the universe, and everything to make sense of myself and the world around me.
This is the part of the commercial where I say I’m not just a salesman here, I’m a customer. I’ve been on the other side of the room in the client chair. I’ve been a nervous wreck. I’ve had the long, lonely nights listening to Radiohead, The Smiths, and Disintegration by The Cure on a loop. I know personally how much heartbreak, depression, and anxiety can leave you cracked in half.
But I can earnestly and honestly say: it will not always be this way. I know the map, I know the territory, and I’ll always do my best to help you see that there’s always a beautiful, bright, blue sky behind the clouds.
Are We A Good Fit?
Study after study has shown that the most important thing you need for therapy to be successful is a good relationship with your therapist. So here’s some “I am a normal, non-intimidating, relatable human being” stuff for you to make the first session feel a little less scary: I love indie rock, post-punk/new wave, and jazz. I read pretty voraciously. I love English bulldogs. I think David Lynch and David Bowie may or may not have been bodhisattvas. I somehow stumbled into being a giant Dodgers and Lakers fan in my 30s. I find the Buddha and Larry David equally inspiring.
-
Have a right-brained and artsy disposition
Find yourself reading about “people pleasing” and nodding along often
Laugh to keep from crying
Are open to learning to love yourself before you try to change yourself
-
Want a lot of homework and worksheets (although I will happily give you some if you want it!)
Believe therapy should feel like a performance review instead of a conversation
Need definitive answers and simple formulas (I don’t have them and I’d steer clear of anyone who says they do)
Love weaponized “therapy speak” and don’t think this Instagram account is very funny
My Values
-
Before I became a therapist, I was a journalist and copywriter. I still love to read, write, and watch movies more than most things. Nothing enraptures me more than a good story—and I know yours is one of them. Still, you wouldn’t be on this website if it was going the way you wanted it to. But here’s the good news: you’re only on your first draft. By telling your story again from the start, you’ll start to see the plot holes, the places your character needs to develop, and how to resolve your inner and outer conflicts before the credits roll. Changing the way you narrate your life is the way you change your life. So if you’re ready for a rewrite, I’d love to hand you the red pen and get cracking.
-
The biggest paradox of all might be that the more grace you have for yourself and your circumstances in the here and now, the more likely you are to change. We spend so much time thinking that if we just criticize ourselves, run away from our problems, doomscroll, or lash out, that’ll be the way to make all this suffering stop. It makes sense! But I’ve yet to hear of anyone getting from Point A to Point B that way—and believe me, I’ve tried too! I know how scary it can feel to truly “let go” but I’d love to be there on the day you do and realize that even though you thought you’d fall—you’re actually flying.
-
Don’t get me wrong: there are going to be times when a Kleenex box will probably come in handy. But my goal is not to make every therapy session feel like a march into the deepest, darkest corners of your life. I’m more likely to quote Seinfeld than Sigmund Freud at you. The flipside of so much frustration and fear is an element of absurdity. When you learn to stare into the abyss and laugh in its face, the abyss might laugh back. I’ll be here for you in the lowest lows, the highest, and all the “what the [BLEEP]s” along the way.
-
Alongside hearing your story, I want to hear about all the stories and songs you love too. Those records that have felt like an arm around the shoulder, those books, movies, or TV shows that helped you make sense of yourself, those characters that had you saying “That’s me!” as you met them on the page or screen. You fell in love with all that stuff for a reason. They’ve been your lighthouses. I want to speak your language, and this is one of the best ways I know how to learn it. I’ll also encourage you to create art of your own. Not everyone has to become an artist, musician, writer, or what-have-you, but if you can learn to channel your highs and lows into beauty and purpose, it can change the whole game.
My Approach
Curiosity
Curiosity is where therapy really starts—basically detective work, but for your inner world. Through psychodynamic insight and IFS work, we’ll pull apart the scenes, meet the cast of characters in your head, and get you back into the director’s chair.
Creativity
Existential and narrative therapy live where creativity does—asking big questions, rewriting old scripts, and finding meaning in the mess. We’ll look at the stories you inherited, the ones you’ve outgrown, and the ones you’re brave enough to write next.
Compassion
ACT and DBT both insist on a wild and crazy idea: you’re allowed to be human. Instead of beating yourself up into change, we’ll practice compassion as skill-building—learning to sit with your pain and become the person you always needed.
Questions?
-
Without insurance, individual sessions are $150 and couples sessions are $200. But don’t stop reading there! The big scary therapy cost numbers are probably not what you’re going to pay.
Here’s how we can lower that amount:I’ve got sliding scale spots available and can point you to people who cost less in general too.
If you have Aetna, CenCal, Optum, or United HealthCare, I’ll just be the cost of your copay and/or deductible.
If you have a PPO, odds are high you can send a superbill to your insurance and get a big chunk of that $150/$200 reimbursed to you too.
Everyone deserves therapy. I’d do it for free if I could, but I unfortunately have some expensive hobbies (eating, paying rent, shaking my fist at the United States health care system, etc.), which is why the cost is high.
But you have my word that either you and I can work something out or I’ll do my best to get you affordable help with some place or person I think is trustworthy! -
Yes! As of now, I take Aetna, CenCal, United Health, and Optum.
I know how expensive therapy can be. The advantage of using insurance is making it a lot cheaper. The disadvantage is your insurance company gets to call all the shots about how many sessions you get or whether or not you need care in the first place.
Private pay is more costly, but gives you more freedom—and we can still submit a superbill to your insurance to hopefully get some of it reimbursed.
Regardless of what you choose, I’ll always be your advocate!
-
I’ll fix you in three sessions, guaranteed! Just kidding. I wish it was that easy or that there was a simple answer to this.
Most people will start feeling improvements within a couple months if they really commit to trying new things and talking through what can sometimes feel like an emotional root canal. Some people decide they want to be in therapy long-term, some just want to do a few sessions.
I’m confident we can probably get you feeling a lot better in a few months—but you can always go deeper and heal more than you ever thought possible if you take a wider-angle view too.
-
Again, I’ll be honest with you. Odds are, there will be a period, especially toward the beginning, where you’re a little more bummed or stressed out. Digging into your inner world can feel like opening the junk drawer in your kitchen—things spill out, stuff surprises you, and it’s messy for a bit. I’ve been through it, I’ve seen a lot of clients go through it, and it’s A) not as bad as you’re probably worrying about and B) completely temporary. You’ll also come out the other side a lot lighter and more content.
-
Check out the Individual and Couples Therapy tabs for more info on this!
-
Most people meet weekly, especially at the start. Once things feel more stable, we can adjust. Same goes in the other direction. I can’t promise I’ll always have availability, but if you want to meet more often, we can try and make that happen to.
-
Short answer: no. Slightly longer answer: no, I will definitely not judge you. We all do weird, confusing, and even heartbreaking things when we’re trying to survive or be happy. I’ll ask you questions about why you do the things you do or think the things you think, but it’ll always be from a place of curiosity, not judgment.
-
I’ll probably send you an intake packet ahead of time so we can get a lot of the clinical stuff out of the way before you show up. Once you’re here, I’ll give you a basic spiel about what to expect, confidentiality, when I have to report something, etc.
After that, we’ll talk about what brought you here, what you want your life to feel like, and what you’re hoping to shift. If you feel more comfortable just shooting the breeze and getting to know each other first, that’s fine too. You’re not going to the principal’s office. We’ll go at your pace and you can open up as fast or as slow as you need to.
-
Very normal. Not every therapist is the right fit, and not every version of you is ready for therapy regardless. I’ll want to keep an open line of communication about ensuring this process is everything you want it to be. But I’ll also never be offended if you feel like I’m not the right guy or this isn’t actually the right time for therapy.
-
Only if you want it. If you’re a worksheet person, I’m happy to send you some links. If doing “homework” for therapy makes you feel like you’re standing on the precipice of Dante’s Inferno, then no homework for you. I’ll give you some stuff to try out from one week to the next a la meditation or grounding techniques, thought experiments, journaling prompts, etc. but that’s always at your discretion. Same goes for any book recommendations.
-
You can come in blind each week and odds are we’ll wind up talking about something valuable. Both as a therapist and a client, some of the best sessions I’ve experienced have been when no one has a plan. You’ll probably be surprised at how much comes up out of the ether. It’s my job to help you explore, not yours to prepare a TED Talk every week. Just swing by, and we’ll find the thread together.
Ready to Get Going?
If everything’s looking good so far, the next thing to do would be to schedule a free consultation call. We can talk for 20 minutes or so—on the phone or over Zoom—so you can give me a basic rundown of what’s going on and ask any questions you might have. I’d encourage you to talk to a few therapists! Go with the person who feels like they’re in sync with you from the jump. If that’s me, great! If it’s not, I’m just excited you’re on the road to feeling a little brighter and finding a little more purpose regardless!