COUNSELING

Days seem so long when you are depressed or anxious, grieving or angry, in conflict with someone or stressed by your job, hurting in your marriage or facing divorce, losing sleep because you fear for your teenager. Nights can seem even longer. The Scriptures, however, say that “life is just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.” So, actually, life is short – too short to spend it hurting because of some event in the past or some situation in the present. And we don’t get “do overs” like we did as children! So life can be difficult and sometimes confusing. Challenges can come when least expected. A person can lose sight of a purposeful, peaceful life and a productive, promising future. Having someone who has years of experience and is trained to assist in explaining issues and helping to find answers can make a difference.

In counseling, an individual, couple, family or adolescent can explore past or present experiences in a safe and caring environment. I specialize in Brief, Solution-Focused Therapy and we are usually able to begin to see progress in a few sessions. Just a few of the issues I help individuals deal with are abuse, codependency, post traumatic stress disorder, boundaries, addiction, cutting, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, phobias, and anger management. I teach couples how to communicate, how to discover each other’s love languages, how to resolve conflict, how to survive infidelity and rebuild trust for a future together, and how to rediscover the love that brought them together in the first place. Families learn how to have effective family dynamics, open communication, how to have consistent discipline and how to successfully blend two families into one family after divorce and remarriage.

Stephen Johnson in Lexington, KY introduced me as an “expert” on teenagers. I corrected him by saying there is no such thing as an “expert” on teenagers. They are challenging, yet I enjoy working with them. I seem to be able to see beyond the exterior, glimpse the person God created them to be and help them discover that person. It is a journey, but well worth the effort.

Counseling is an investment in your future, your healthiness and your peace of mind. It is worth the time, effort and expense and a gift you can give yourself. You deserve it!