Counseling Services in Erie, CO
It can be hard to take that first step: deciding to seek counseling. As we grow up, many of us are told that we should keep our problems within the family or believe that we should be able to work things out “on our own”. The truth is that everyone could use an objective, compassionate perspective at some point in his or her life, and assistance from a counselor skilled at helping others can be enormously effective and rewarding. If you feel like you’ve hit a wall within a relationship, feel stuck, or have concerns about your teen or another family member, I can help. I will work with you on gaining insight into the areas of your life that feel stuck, processing what is happening for you in your thoughts, feelings and behaviors, and getting you un-stuck on your journey, with new choices and opportunities available to you.
How Therapy Works
Often, when I speak to clients who are new to therapy, they will ask me, “So how does this therapy thing work?” It is normal to be nervous when you start therapy. I strive to make the process as comfortable as possible. The first thing I focus on is laying the groundwork for successful therapy: essentially, I develop a relationship with you that feels comfortable, collaborative and not intimidating. My approach to counseling incorporates acceptance, compassion and a sense of humor into our work. In the initial phase, I also work with you to identify areas of difficulty and to gain information about relationship and family history.
I then assist you in addressing aspects of your life that you would like to improve: would you like to manage recurring anxiety and/or depression? Are you and your partner experiencing a loss of intimacy or having difficulty with communicating? Do you have difficulty believing in yourself and wish you were more confident? Do you feel like your family has grown apart and wish you could all be closer? Or do you want your teen to have more coping skills so that he or she can thrive during those difficult years? These are a few examples of issues I have assisted clients with. Depending on what you would like to achieve in therapy, I can help you work through painful issues, while giving you tools to manage thoughts, feelings and behaviors that arise from or are associated with difficult relationships, trauma, anger, anxiety and depression.
Therapy as Teamwork
Through experience, I have learned that you will benefit the most from a collaborative approach with your therapist. You do not want solutions thrown at you, but rather, would like therapy to be tailored to you. I strive to create a therapeutic team with you which incorporates principles of acceptance and empathy, balanced with the right amount of tools/actions you can employ to achieve results in your life.
Counseling Services
The following is a list of services I provide:
Couples therapy
Individual therapy for adults and teens
Family therapy
Parenting education and support
Therapy for anxiety
Therapy for depression
Grief and loss counseling
Choosing a Therapist that "Fits" You
Research has shown that the most important component of successful therapy is the quality of the relationship between the therapist and client. Therefore, I provide free 20 minute consultations by phone so that you can get a good sense of who I am as a therapist, and I can give you feedback on how I can help you. Please call (303) 518-1335 or email me to set up your free consultation. If you are looking for a therapist in Erie, Colorado, contact me today.