The Counseling Process
“For a seed to achieve its greatest expression, it must come completely undone. The shell cracks, its insides come out and everything changes. To someone who doesn't understand growth, it would look like complete destruction.”
― Cynthia Occelli
We come to counseling when we are in pain, when something needs to change, or when we are seeking growth and personal development. In an initial intake assessment, I’ll work with you to identify your counseling goals and needs. I’ll also provide you with further explanation of how I work as a counselor, and answer questions you have about me or the process of therapy. As we continue to meet, your therapeutic needs may change. I will assess and explore these shifting goals with you.
Healing is a tricky business, and not something any of us can do alone. Counseling can provide life-saving relief and support, though it is not always a comfortable process. Sometimes discomfort is part of growth; sometimes it is a sign that we need to shift something we are doing in our work together. I want to navigate these questions with you. With a strong therapeutic relationship, I believe the process of counseling can offer healing, hope, and growth.
The Counseling Relationship
“In my early professional years I was asking the question: How can I treat, or cure, or change this person? Now I would phrase the question in this way: How can I provide a relationship which this person may use for his own personal growth?”
― Carl R. Rogers
At the center of the complex process of counseling is the therapeutic relationship between counselor and client. It takes time to build trust and establish a working therapeutic relationship. When we are in pain or urgently seeking changes, this relationship building can be a frustrating process. When we have had negative, or even traumatic, relational experiences in our past, building these kinds of connections can be even more challenging.
Whether you’ve had counseling in the past or not, starting therapy with a new counselor can be an intimidating, vulnerable process. Yet I believe this relationship is the necessary foundation for any change or healing to occur. I want to build this collaborative connection at a pace that works for you, and that honors your needs for safety and healing. I use an integrative, person-centered approach to collaborate with you throughout the process of counseling.