What Others are Saying

I started working with Neal because I was having panic attacks and it was becoming more and more difficult to cope with ordinary, everyday stress. My life was shrinking when what I really wanted was expansion. After trying several other methods of intervention that helped somewhat, I contacted Neal. I wasn’t exactly sure what Somatic Experiencing was all about, but I had a hopeful feeling.

I am so glad I listened to this feeling! A door to a happier, more fulfilling life was opened up to me during the very first session. Each time I leave Neal’s office, I feel like I have regained a part of myself that had somehow gotten lost. Not only are the panic attacks gone, but a sense of real empowerment has taken their place.

My life, which for so long has seemed random and chaotic, is beginning to feel like a coherent whole, filled with meaning and purpose. I am regaining my abilities to handle stress in a healthy way, set boundaries and create positive growth in my career and personal relationships. Neal has been an excellent guide through this process. His personal qualities include; trustworthiness, curiosity, good humor, adaptability, patience and real insight into what it means to be human.

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Your support is like a soft voice gently touching me somehow through all this chaos.

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During their sessions do all of your clients laugh as much and have as much fun as we do during mine?

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Neal helped me come to realize that the reality of our marriage is that it is more like walking through constant emotional land mines.  Tonight I feel like I pulled the blanket off the land mines and pointed out the reality and said, "Hey, I'm not walking in this field with you anymore. Either you walk it alone or come with me to a healthier, less dangerous field."  I know better than anyone that the hell we know is much less scary than the unknown. It takes a lot of support to face that scary unknown.

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Thanks for all your help - we feel very happy with our progress!

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Thank you so much for everything; I could never have achieved this clarity without your help and kind efforts. I am glad to have you as a valuable resource when I need help and great advice. I appreciate you offering a last wrap up session so that we can review all of our work and breakthroughs. I suspect that when I do come back to see you in the future, it will be for other issues because we have solved the issues that I sought your help for initially.

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Thanks so much for your caring and support, Neal. You are right there when I reach out, so thank you so much. There are little gems of understanding all along the way, or as it is said, one has to "dive deep for the pearl of great price." I look forward to our next time to talk.

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I referred a friend from work today who may contact you…frankly, you are a gem....so it is my honor to refer fantastic help/service to others I care about.

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Thanks, by the way, I don't know how you did it, but my husband came home very calm and peaceful last night. It was a nice change since he has been extremely irritated with me...as he courageously admitted.

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When I came to Neal, I was pretty broken. I have struggled with major drama, anger, & mood swings for the majority of my life. At the time, my husband and I were having extreme power struggles in our marriage and I was determined to do whatever it took to make the marriage work and find some peace in my life. I searched online for a long time to find the right therapist, and I chose Neal for the following reasons: he is a man, he is happily married for longer than 10 years, he has children, he worked successfully in a different field (engineering) before he became therapist, he isn't trigger happy about his clients taking drugs, and finally (this may seem kind of silly, but for those of you who have tried therapy before you'll know what I mean here) he seemed "normal." Well the above reasons for choosing him, based on his website were all true, but as we continued to work with him many other wonderful skills came to light.

First of all, Neal knows how to relate to both men and women. This is important because my husband is not a "feelings" kind of guy. He likes things black and white, he's action-oriented, and he wants a game plan. Neal understands that mindset and could relate to him in a way that didn't make him want to bolt for the door in 30 seconds.

Secondly, Neal is very masculine but he is also in touch with his emotions. He is not threatened or uncomfortable with a sensitive personality like mine. I'm more on the emotional side of things; I cry easily, express my anger outwardly, etc. He was able to connect with me on that level and never made me feel ashamed for expressing what I felt.

Third, Neal is very pro-marriage; this is something that I think is lacking in the psychology industry as many therapists I looked into didn't seem to get the fine balance between being too self-centered and being a doormat in a relationship. I think he roots for marriages to succeed because he places high value on commitment and keeping one's word, along with his personal experiences with having a successful marriage. I also think he values the intimacy and great deal of healing that is possible between two people if they open their hearts to the experience.

Fourth, he is a very balanced therapist, and I don't believe he operates in a one size fits all thought process. The approaches he used with us probably aren't the same ones he uses with other couples. He was very intuitive and able to "catch on" to the deeper roots of our struggles. Additionally, we never felt like he was watching the clock when we spoke, or thought our problems were crazy or “out there.” At least if he did, he didn't show it! Another thing we appreciated was that he genuinely cared about us. I believe that this is something that can't be faked; we all have the capacity to know when someone is bored or just wants their check at the end of the session and Neal isn't that kind of person.

Lastly, Neal has made tremendous progress with me on an individual level. For the first time in my life, I can actually say that I'm learning to trust my own thoughts and instincts. I'm starting to have confidence in my decisions and am starting to get over things that have bothered me for years. This is very much a product of Neal's abilities as a therapist.

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Thank you for your healing hands. My body feels transformed and I feel that I can wear my Angel Wings very comfortably now!