I'm Debbie Whatley, a licensed professional counselor with a license in marriage and family therapy. My licenses are in the state of Louisiana, and I've been practicing for more than 20 years. My specialties include anger management, addiction, anxiety, depression, relationships, appropriate communication styles, boundaries, and treating clients who have experienced trauma.
If a client prefers to provide a background or history, that's ok. I allow the client to lead the way in a manner that makes them comfortable. Otherwise, I like to begin with what is bothering them most today. Let's address that, solve it, and then see what may have caused it to happen. Then we develop a plan to prevent future incidents.
I want clients to feel hopeful at the end of each session and have at least one problem solved. They should continue to process information acquired during the session. There may be homework assignments that will help the client between sessions.
