If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.
-Henry David Thoreau
Individual, Couples, and Family Counseling
I provide comprehensive individual, couple, and family counseling for adolescents and adults.
I work in response to a wide range of concerns including, anxiety, depression, life transitions, spiritual issues, and relational health.
Substance Misuse or Addiction
I am very interested in working with people who have come to know substance consumption to be problematic in their lives. Our work together will include inquiries and conversations designed to prepare you to significantly change your relationship with substance use in ways that are life-changing, meaningful and sustainable.
Couples Counseling
I work skillfully and knowledgeably with couples who find themselves in committed relationships where problems are undermining the hopes and joys that they had for their relationships. Using a narrative/relational perspective we will address concerns such as: mistrust, long-standing conflicts, the impact of losses and grief, and the negotiation of change in relationships.
Family Counseling
I very much value working with families, however they may be defined, who are experiencing trauma, loss, and transitions or having to deal with particular challenges or dilemmas that impact families. I honor the voices of all family members when they gather together and rather than blame families for the problems of family members, the narrative family therapy approach brings the family or networks together to counter the problem as they see it.
What strikes me is the fact that in our society, art has become something which is related only to objects and not to individuals, or to life. That art is something which is specialized or which is done by experts who are artists. But couldn’t everyone’s life become a work of art?
Why should the lamp or the house be an art object, but not our life?
– Michel Foucault
Counseling for Creatives
I am very interested in working with people who are interested in living in more creative ways, however that may look to you. As someone intimately knowledgeable in the creative process I hope to explore with you your creative purpose, and what may stand in the way of your creative voice. It is my intention to collaborate with you in overcoming the many difficulties that cause so many creatives to give up too early and abandon their preferred ways of living.
My Creative Background
I have experience as a working artist, having shown my art both in the U.S. and Europe. I directed the respected Orange County art gallery The Office: An Art Space for several years, mentoring and supporting many artists in the process. My wife Michele and I started the Hoff Foundation in 2008, which distributed quarterly grants to artists and arts organizations based in Orange County and Long Beach, to date we have granted over $30k to the creative community. I continue to write about art for the OC Art Blog and have curated art exhibitions for various organizations including recent exhibitions for Cypress College and the OC Arts Commission that took place at the John Wayne Airport. All of this experience has given me an insider’s view of the many struggles creatives face in their attempts at living a more creative life in the real world.
If you would like support in your effort to live more creatively, please don’t hesitate to give me a call.
I have known Dr. Chris Hoff, LMFT for several years and have found great comfort within his personal and professional mentoring. Dr. Hoff has a way of listening to you with grace and care, which allows you the opportunity to witness the practice of mindfulness being brought into each moment with compassion and wisdom. Dr. Hoff has inspired me in many ways, but his Creative Living Workshop helped me most recently by providing the motivation needed to bring the “creative” tools back into my business and community, Open Door Pomona. I have seen growth in my ability to create an exciting and original business plan which has impacted my community in a positive and inspiring way. I would recommend working with Dr. Hoff if you are looking for an inspiring, supportive, and professional doctor that will provide the tools needed to improve your personal and professional life.
– Melanie Yetter
Owner Open Door Yoga, Meditation Teacher
