I have been a Licensed Professional Counselor for over 20 years. I work with adults and older teenagers on a variety of issues. I work a lot with people struggling with anxiety, PTSD, and depression. I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Emotional Freedom Technique (Tapping) with most of my clients.
While therapy is often hard, it can be an enjoyable and uplifting experience as well. I believe that you cannot laugh without a combination of insight and relief. You can expect some humor in most sessions. How we work together will vary. Sometimes, we will stay on the surface exploring your thoughts, feelings, and reactions or learning new techniques to apply in daily life. Other times, we may take a deep dive into the core issues related to stubborn problems. It all depends on what you need and what you are ready for.
First sessions can be very busy. I always want to make sure clients have an opportunity to ask questions they may have about therapy or me before we dig into things. You can expect me to ask about what brings you in for counseling and then spend some time getting details about the impact of your problems on all aspects of your life. I will also collect some background information to get a better understanding of the context that your concerns grow out of. Once that is done, we develop a plan together, including your goals for therapy.
