Counseling by its very nature can help foster a greater sense of self and mutual understanding with those around us further providing opportunities for mutual empowerment.  By increasing our self-understanding, we ultimately increase our sense of how to relate to others.  And yet, our self-concept is also intricately influenced by the quality of our empathic connection with others.  In this relatedness to each other, we periodically encounter conflicts and challenges throughout the life cycle that propel us toward growth, coping and adaptation.  As we encounter “roadblocks” in addressing these conflicts, we may not even recognize WHAT they are or WHY they are present.  Let's face it!  We all can kind of get stuck sometimes.  Sometimes we realize it - and sometimes, we don't.

     Alas the decision to enter counseling can be a positive commitment forward, toward getting "unstuck", and toward acquiring increased understanding of these barriers to our growth.  The complexities of human nature are such that problems sometimes require that people get help opening up the "paths" available that may seem fuzzy or hidden.  Coming here can be viewed almost as a process of focusing that lens on your world. This process inevitably will involve making changes in ones' thinking and in ones' doing.

     Of course the thinking can be very complicated and so I'm especially interested in helping clients to establish a harmony of communication between the three parts of the mind: the brain, the heart and the gut. If this communication is happening effectively with each "voice" being honored for its experience and wisdom, then it is my perspective that this leads to a greater sense of contentment and balance. Most importantly it leads to a living of our life that is faithful to our true self.

     In my role as therapist, I take the opportunity to consult with clients as the experts of their own lives, of how they think and how they do.  I believe that each of us already has the tools within us.  We simply need to figure out how to access them and use them.  I view the work that we do together as a series of healing conversations whereby we engage in a journey through the process of dialogue, storytelling and exploration which enable us as a team to look for the “answers” together. 

     As therapist and client, our mutually motivated and active participation in this process is essential to its level of success.  This means coming to our meetings prepared - coming with questions or goals, or simply a basic willingness to explore your story.  This process can be messy sometimes, may involve frustration, pressure, and challenge and above all requires patience.  But from it, my hope is that my discussions with clients will allow for richer descriptions, more dynamic explorations of their purpose and improved opportunities for wider options of their being.