Chuck specializes in working with relationships and family conflict, including blended family, money, intimacy, and communication issues. He finds working with distressed couples especially rewarding. As a veteran of the United States Air Force, Chuck understands the stressors military and dependents face. He is also familiar with the law enforcement community. In addition to a Master’s in Marriage, Family & Child Counseling, Chuck holds a Master’s in Business Administration, which helps when working with the “business side” of marriage & family.

Chuck uses a curriculum that he developed over time designed to facilitate communication (exchanging listening and respect), understand differences, meet needs, identify strengths, define roles, build intimacy, resolve conflict, and set boundaries with internal and external threats to the relationship(s). Given the stressors couples face today (technology, social media, etc.) as never before, managing these threats has become essential to “tipping the scale” in favor of marriage. He will almost always assign homework.

Chuck requires that at least the first session be conducted via videoconferencing, and may want to continue that modality until the “therapist-client relationship” has been established, per telehealth best practices. As a family-systems therapist, Chuck enjoys having the whole family present for the first session whenever possible. He likes to learn all the members, their roles in the family system and the family story. He has found that generational legacies can be very powerful. Chuck believes that we must be the authors of our own stories and choose our paths. Many people instinctively know the path that they want to be on, but are stuck in maladaptive patterns rooted in the past.
As a counselor, Chuck is more directive than most and uses Milan Systemic theory as a framework. As a first step he will ask you to fill in the blank “The problem that I’m having in my (family, life, relationship, etc.) is…” The more brief and specific you can be in this “problem statement” the more likely you and Chuck will be to resolve that problem. Next, you and Chuck will write a “better statement.” Again filling in the blank “The problem will be better when…” As with the problem statement, the more brief and specific you can be, the more likely you will be to resolve the problem. As insight is gained and progress made toward the “better,” the problem and better statements are refined as a work-in-progress.

Chuck incorporates “mindfulness” from Dialectal Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and lessons learned from practicing yoga into his work. Mindfulness teaches observing emotions as a scientist observes phenomena in nature without judgment, and living in the moment.

Chuck was married for 29 years, divorced, and is now engaged to the woman of his dreams. So, he can probably relate to whatever you (and your family) are going through. As a blended family-to-be, they have a 28 year-old son who served in the United States Navy, and is currently living on the east coast. Chuck has a four year-old son in heaven, giving him the empathy for those who have suffered a loss, which can only come from personal experience.

Chuck holds a Master’s degree in Marriage, Family & Child Counseling from the University of San Diego, and is independently licensed as an LPC in Colorado (2400), and in Texas (77267). He is also licensed as an LPCC in New Mexico (0734).

Currently, Chuck’s “office” day for Telehealth Video sessions is on Tuesdays from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, only. He can respond to Messaging on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, only. Chuck does not use Chat or Phone.