Therapy is a process of healing and discovery for the whole person...... body, mind, behavior, emotions and especially spirit. Therapy can help us bring out that which is already within....it can, in some small way, improve our journey in this life and help us empower, rediscover or reconnect with ourselves and therefore with others. 

Therapy can be used in a variety of ways. The reasons a person seeks therapy can range from needing a place to go to talk things through with an objective person to working through painful or traumatic issues.  Contrary to what many people believe, a person does not have to be sick or depressed or mentally ill to seek treatment. Sometimes, a person seeks therapy to improve or develop self-esteem. Other reasons might be to deal with issues related to relationships, families, careers, parenting, major life changes, world events, losses, transitions, substance abuse, the everyday stresses of life or even a vague sense that something just is not right.  Seeking support is a positive, healthy step and a sign of strength. Realizing that we cannot always navigate through life alone is wisdom not weakness. Being fortunate enough to have support from friends and family is wonderful but sometimes, that support might not exist or even if it does, we might want feedback from a more objective source.

When seeking counseling, it is important not to allow "horror stories" or prior bad experiences deter us.  In the field of counseling, as in any profession, there are people who are not qualified. The client is, after all, a consumer looking for a service.  It is not only the right but also the responsibility of the client to ask questions and to shop around. The client and the therapist interview each other, it is not a "one-way street."  If something does not feel right, as clients, we must honor that feeling and move on until we find someone with whom we feel safe and comfortable.

I believe therapists or counselors serve as facilitators, guides or coaches who have hopefully learned ways to improve the quality of their own lives and can share that knowledge and experience with clients and thereby contribute to their process of growth and recovery. Therapists are fellow humans, imperfect and fallible, on the same journey in life as their clients. I believe therapists must continue their own process of growth and self-examination, both personally and professionally, as they facilitate that process in others.  Therapists are not experts who have all the answers. It is not the job of the therapist to tell clients what to do or how to feel but to support clients in that process.

As we pass through different stages of our lives, our needs, beliefs, perspectives, relationships, etc. may need to be re-examined or changed. Therapy can provide the opportunity to have a witness to this process of change and can guide us to a new and healthier place to allow the innate wisdom of the self to emerge.

One of the most important aspects of therapy, if not THE most important part, is for the client to tell his or her story and for the therapist to listen and bear witness, without judgment.  The story is told not to assign blame or to make excuses but rather to look at where we come from and where we have been, in order to decide where we are going. If nothing else is accomplished in therapy, simply telling ones story can promote clarity and healing.

 The relationship between the client and the counselor is the most important part of therapy, therefore it needs to be reparative, healing and based on mutual positive regard.  The therapist must create an atmosphere of empathy, support, respect, good humor, safety and acceptance without judgment. If for any reason this atmosphere does not exist, the client and therapist must honor each other enough to make a change.

 I believe the focus in therapy needs to be on health and a positive attitude rather than on disease or diagnosis.  If a condition such as depression or anxiety does exist, that condition can be improved upon or changed by increasing awareness and exploring feelings, beliefs, and underlying issues.  Then changes can be made in coping skills, perspectives, attitudes and behaviors. When appropriate, the option of medication can be explored. However, ultimately, the decision to take medication is always up to the client. 

Crisis or pain is often the impetus for seeking therapy and can serve as an indication that change is needed.  Processing that pain can create transformation and that transformation can lead a person from merely surviving and coping to living a joyful and spiritual life.