About Stevie
I imagine you didn't expect to find yourself here, but I'm glad you are. We often don't get to choose what happens to us, but we can choose how we respond. Much of my work is helping clients get through what feels impossible, one day at a time.
My approach is direct, collaborative and accepting. I'll regularly ask for your feedback: how you feel about your progress, and whether a technique or skill I suggest fits you. Our work is a bit like a three-dimensional puzzle. There are many layers to sort through and we can only place one piece at a time, but with each session the picture gets clearer.
My work is grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and I draw on approaches for trauma, intimacy and betrayal. Together we look at what is feeding today's problems and make a plan to get past the barriers in front of you. Sometimes that means working with trauma, attachment or difficulty regulating emotions.
My research focuses on empathy, including my doctoral dissertation on cognitive and affective empathy and my publication of the Relational Empathy Assessment (REA). I view empathy as a skill that can be nurtured and refined, not something you either have or don't have. In my work with individuals and couples, I help people navigate empathy challenges and build on their strengths. I also offer Empathy Assessments based on the Relational Empathy Model to help people understand their empathy strengths and challenges.
Services
Education
- PhD in Psychology with an emphasis in Cognition and Instruction, Grand Canyon University
- MS, Counseling, University of North Texas
- BS, Psychology, Sam Houston State University
Training
- Certified Sex Addiction Therapist, International Institute for Trauma and Addiction Professionals
- Sex Therapist, International Institute of Clinical Sexology
- EMDR trained
- Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (externship)
- Attachment Injury Resolution Model (AIRM)
- Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP), Level 1 training
- Trained mediator, State of Texas
- Relational Life Therapy
- Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)
Publications
- Therapeutic Separation: A Workbook for Couples Facing Addiction (co-author, with Lindsey Stanley, LPC)
- Relational Empathy Assessment (REA) (opens in a new tab)
- Comparison of Cognitive and Affective Empathy of Sex Buyers and Non-Sex Buyers (dissertation, Grand Canyon University, 2023) (opens in a new tab)