Counseling is focused on weighing
alternatives and finding solutions to specific problems. Psychotherapy is focused on
deeper patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that have become so much a part of
how we perceive ourselves. These patterns ultimately play an important role in the
choices that we make in our lives, based on what we think is available to us. The aim of
psychotherapy is assist a person in identifying more accurately who they are and to
provide the tools we need to deal with our world in a more comfortable and productive
manner. For such a sensitive process to work, the importance of the relationship between
the client and the therapist cannot be over-emphasized.
Being sensitive to cultural and spiritual issues, I have
worked successfully with people from many backgrounds. Life-affirming values and a high
regard for individual differences are consistently maintained. I believe that human
experience does not happen by chance and I respect the basic human need to draw meaning
from our own lives. Consistent with this philosophy, I conceptualize psychological
services to be a collaborative effort. The client and the clinician share the
responsibility of identifying problems, developing a treatment plan, and providing mutual
feedback regarding the course of therapy. As a client, you have a right to a clear and
non-technical explanation of the types of treatment techniques that are being recommended.
It is also important for you to express your feelings about the type of treatment you are
receiving so that these issues can be addressed in a manner that may enhance rather than
impede the therapy process. Most problems have acceptable solutions.
Prior to taking on the task of psychotherapy, it is important
to have some understanding of who you are, what is going on with you and specifically what
outcomes you hope to achieve through therapy. Typically, all or part of the first few
sessions will be devoted to assessing this type of information which will be gathered
through a discussion of background history as well as the completion of forms and
psychological test instruments. Once we are satisfied that sufficient information has been
gathered to begin treatment, I will initiate our development of a treatment plan. The plan
will address the issues on which treatment will focus, including the goals we have
identified, the type of treatment to be used, and a realistic estimate of how long we may
expect to work together.
I have found that a holistic approach to therapy and
assessment facilitates a better understanding of an individual’s behavior patterns,
personality dynamics, and predominant style of interacting with world. Services are
provided in a supportive, non-judgmental atmosphere in which each person may learn to
access areas of strength as well as to identify and speak freely about those areas with
which they struggle. Persistent behaviors and emotional responses are explored as a means
of discovering the positive intention behind those behaviors as well as developing
alternatives to those patterns which may no longer be useful. There is no such thing as
forced change, and such a goal would be non-therapeutic. The primary goal of therapy is
never to limit behavior, but rather to expand one's options. |
