Colin Peters

I began working broadly in this field nearly 30 years ago and became a licensed clinical social worker 20 years ago. Along with completing a masters degree in social work from the University of Illinois, Chicago, I hold a masters degree in fine art in drawing and painting from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. I believe these areas of study have come to inform my practice in obvious and sometimes less obvious ways.

I began my private practice in 2014 specializing in a harm reduction and moderation as apt responses to problematic substance use, as defined by those seeking my help.

Largely in response to the evolving relationships with my clients and referrals that often came in for friends and family of previous clients, I've come to work with trauma survivors, people identifying difficulty establishing stable relationships in social and professional settings, and people addressing loneliness and mood dysregulation.

I believe the best answer for this question is, "It depends," on the human that's in front of me, what they are looking for or what they set as their goals as well as what version of me they need in that moment.

We always need the human in front of us to be honest, genuine, and unvarnished.

If you work with me long enough, you'll see me as assertive, direct, and sometimes directive depending on the setting.

You'll also see me as patient, non-judgmental, and kind.

I also believe deeply in the power of humor and my clients being able to connect with their own creativity. This is more often than not the way we find the answers and peace we're looking for.

There are well observed and research based therapies I subscribe to. These include Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy, and Authentic Happiness.

If I had to pick one to represent me, I'd pick Harm Reduction as a practice rooted in sage human observation and peer reviewed data.

More than these perhaps, it's adherence to the tenant that Harm Reduction is Radical Acceptance, ~ of people using substances, doing sex work, managing psychiatric medications - or choosing not to use psychiatric medications, people who are other then neurotypical, of people living other than conventional sex defined roles and relationships, and people who identify and strive to embrace queerness.

~ of people as they are.

There will be some basic assessment for safety and immediate well being. These are standard for most initial sessions.

I try to get an idea what you identify as problematic. What brings you to therapy. Are you ready to identify even a tentative goal. I believe in goals. I also know they can flex and change so long as there is some evidence of positive change for however a person defines it.

More than anything, I want to give you a chance to tell something of your story.

Stories can and do evolve over time as do conversations.

I want you to have some feeling about what doing the work of therapy is like with me.

Ultimately, you should be the one who decides if you come back and want to work with me or if you feel you need to try someone else.

You both have and deserve that right.