I teach because of the passion I have for the material I present. I also enjoy helping guide students through the learning process. Teaching can be a learning experience as well. I believe that constant exposure to information helps me stay current in my field.

My philosophy of teaching reflects my philosophy of therapy. I see my role as one who facilitates discovery and change while working in a collaborative partnership in seeking truth. It is important to me that the material presented is personally meaningful to each student and can be applied to each student’s life and/or profession. My goal in presenting any material is to activate student’s existing knowledge base, to engage them in incorporating new information and thereby aid students in discovering the joy of learning.  I strive to maintain a classroom atmosphere that is conducive to learning and encourages dialog.  A sprinkling of humor and a willingness to laugh at myself goes a very long way.

People have multiple learning styles: some learn best in a lecture atmosphere, some are motivated by discussion, and others absorb best when they read and reflect on what they have read. I try to use all three styles to help reach all my students initially. The application of learned ideas and processes in new situations is my long term goal. My role as a teacher is to encourage learning on two levels, the basic and fact-oriented level and the more complex and challenging level in which skills or ways of thinking are developed (e.g. problem solving, critical thinking). Both types of knowledge are important as building blocks for the student to reach beyond their current level. Also crucial is teaching students to base their theories and conclusions on data. Often an informal conversation can show that a student knows more than he demonstrated at a certain hour on a certain day. My goal is not to make the complex simple but to make the complex accessible.
 
Group interaction is also an important part of learning. Being able to share ideas, validate them with others, and working in teams are important processes in social and mental development. I am also prepared to manage classroom interactions without always providing all the answers. Interactions depend in part on the individual and the experiences that he or she brings with them. Interactions, and thus knowledge, can be somewhat guided, stimulated, or shaped by a teacher.

I also try to learn from my students. They may challenge some of the material I am presenting and I may disagree with their challenges. It is my responsibility to remember that my disagreement must have a sound professional basis and should never be purely an emotional reaction. Students can also provide interesting examples and new applications of content based on their experiences. Most importantly, they give me valuable feedback on how I can better present the material in the future.