Counseling Fundamentals

Finding "the right therapist" is about both feel and fit. A skilled therapist should be at a minimum 2 things: An accurate mirrorA good explanatory voiceAs an "accurate mirror", he or she should be able to help you clarify your thoughts, feelings, values, etc - helping you gain perspective on... more

This is an important question. The right therapist does not necessarily need to share all of your views, but they do need to share your goals. I cannot over-stress the importance of setting goals with your therapist. They may change over time, but you and the therapist should be on the same page... more

How do you feel when you meet with your therapist? Are you comfortable? Do you feel safe? Do you feel like you are gaining something from the experience? Therapy has its ups and downs, it is hard, and sometimes it won't feel good- that is when you are growing and learning the most. If you feel... more

Setting expectations for treatment at the very beginning would help you to know if you have found the "right one" for you. This is how you'd address "training" your therapist to give you what you need. However, the therapist is not there to fix you, that's your job. A therapist is another set of... more

Absolutely not. Whatever problems you are facing, I promise you there are others out there facing the same problems and counseling can help. The right therapist is out there. What is it that bothers you the most right here and right now? That answer may change from day to day or moment to moment... more

There is no such thing as too many issues for counseling. Many people come in with a variety of issues and sometimes we discover other underlying issues. As you begin therapy, you will be able to explore your history with your therapist and come up with what you would like to focus on first or... more

It is absolutely normal to cry during a therapy session and people do it all the time for a wide variety of reasons. Often in therapy, you're talking about the heaviest things in your life and the emotions that surface can be beyond your control, so don't try to force it; let it out. If it is... more

The very act of therapy is about purging that which you've been holding on to. Sometimes while we talk about and let things go, crying happens, which is a natural emotional response to processing something complex. Sometimes we get really angry and mad, sometimes, there is no emotional response. All... more

Therapy brings people in for many different reasons. Most of the time it is because something in your life is not right and having someone to talk to that is not a friend or family member can be very helpful. We have many emotions, some are easy to share in front of others, some are not as easy... more

I usually don't label a client as "difficult" because whatever they are presenting with makes sense for how they believe they need to live. "Difficult" is also so subjective, so it could mean something different for each person.It can be really hard for most counselors to feel stuck with a client... more