Every time I sit down at my laptop to write something for my business webpage, I freeze.  

My partner made a great suggestion that I just sit down and write – see what comes out.  Basically, he advised me to journal.  How therapeutic of him.  Lol!  Anyway, here goes.

I guess people need to know why they might need to see me instead of any other therapist.  The first thing I will point out is that I have a lot of life experience in addition to my education.   And that is what makes me so connected to my work.

When I see someone for the first time, there’s usually a measure of anxiety in the room, and it doesn’t belong only to the client.  I’m always a little nervous when I meet anyone for the first time – in the office or just in general.  I’m a true introvert.  But as it turns out – I’m quite extroverted when I’m around people that are safe. I’m also very empathic, sensitive to others, and intuitive/perceptive.

I strive to make my office a safe place where you can be heard and never judged.  Everyone who comes in for the first time, especially if they have never been to therapy, feels anxious to one degree or another.   It takes a lot of courage to seek and get help – to tell someone you really don’t know things that you may have never told anyone.  In addition, many believe that someone must be “crazy” or really messed up if they are seeking therapy.  This is not true at all.  My hope is that when you finish your therapy you will know that you know you matter; you are enough; and there is nothing wrong with who you are, nor has there even been.

I’d like to also say that some parts of the Country seem to have more difficulty with the idea of going to therapy than other parts.  If you are from the Bible Belt, i.e., the South, some believe that going to therapy means they are not “Christian” enough or that they don’t have enough faith.  Neither of those things are true – they are simply false (I can say this because I was raised in the South).  I would be more inclined to say that it takes a lot of faith to go where you might feel led for therapy.  God made doctors, electricians, and therapists for a reason.

This a nice segue to the idea of spirituality – not religion per se – but spirituality in general.   The tagline for Connections Counseling Center is mind ~ body ~ spirit.  This is because the healing journey includes and affects every part of us.   It’s the way we humans are wired.   This is well documented in neuroscience.   If something affects us on an emotional level, especially something chronic, it affects us physically (many illnesses and health issues are highly correlated with histories of all kinds of trauma) and in our spirit, or soul, or true Self – however you define those.  It affects the essence of who we are.  Chronic abuse of any kind harms our beliefs about our own selves.  It affects the part of us that connects to the Divine, to the Universe, to everyone and everything else – relationships, environment, mood, the way we parent, the way we view ourselves, others, and the world.  Issues in any of these realms affects all the others. If you can only see yourself through the critical eyes of others, your spirit/inner light is greatly dimmed until hope seems fleeting. 

I believe therapy is about the whole person.  I integrate several therapies (all based on research, psychology, and neuroscience) and use a holistic approach.  This is because the hope is that when you complete your therapy, you will feel more at peace and more whole/less fragmented. More connected to yourself, your spirit, and others.  

So – if you’re even thinking about therapy, give me a call or send me a text.  If you call, please leave a voicemail so that I will know to return the call.