Individual Counseling
What is my individual counseling approach?
My approach to counseling is a collaborative process in which a unique, confidential helping relationship is developed between myself and a patient. In this relationship, I the counselor act as a facilitator to help the patient to understand more accurately him/herself and the world around him/her. I and the patient explore the patient’s feelings and behaviors, relationships with others, choices and decisions, as well as the patient’s current situation. As information is gathered from the patient it may become evident that another form of therapy known as EEG Biofeedback may be beneficial. EEG Biofeedback (neurofeedback)is a process of training the brain’s arousal patterns in order to facilitate better cognitive processing and/or physical functioning in the client. If there is evidence that this process is an appropriate adjunct or primary therapy modality, additional information will need to be taken in addition to the regular intake forms that are completed at our first meeting.
What can I expect from my first session?
During the first meeting with a counselor, you will be asked to describe your concerns and what you hope to gain from counseling. This first session is an opportunity for you and myself to decide whether this environment is the best place for you to help yourself. If you decide to continue to meet with the me then we will set up additional sessions were you will set goals pertaining to the issues presented to work on. When appropriate, some patients are referred to another resource in the community.
How many sessions will it take?
Some patients find that the initial interview itself is all they need to explore and clarify their feelings and options. The number of sessions that I meet with a patient really depends on the issues he or she is addressing, the severity of the issues, and on the coping mechanisms of the patient. All of this will be discussed early on in counseling, so that the patient has a good idea of what their commitment and responsibility is in the counseling relationship. Sessions last approximately 50 minutes, but could be set up longer to meet the needs of the patient.
Some of the issues often addressed in individual counseling are:
- Stress
- Difficulty in adjusting to a change/s in circumstance/s
- Questions about Christian spiritual life and life calling decisions/changes
- Don’t know how to cope with life circumstances
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Bi-polar
- Self-esteem
- Loneliness
- Trauma/Post Traumatic Stress issues
- Difficulty forming or maintaining healthy relationships
- Physical or emotional abuse (past or present)
- Cross-cultural issues (including cultural conflicts between parents & child)
- Difficulty defining problems
- Marked changes in functioning
- Irritability
- Changes in thinking or perceptual abilities
- Difficulty setting limits or boundaries with others
What about medication
I am not a physcian and do not presecribe medication; however, I do offer referals to physcians for the needs of physical checkups as well evaluation for pharmaocological interventions. If there are struggles in mood and/or physical symptoms it is wise to seek evaluation by a physician to evaluate your physical health, as the physical and emotional health of individuals is interconnected.
