Counseling can come in many forms and from a variety of people. Our friends can provide counseling to us. Our teachers, family members and other valued people in our life can provide counseling to us. The above mentioned counseling and professional counseling services can appear similar but actually are very different. A licensed counselor is able to use tools to help you gain insight/awareness into issues from an objective and professional framework. Counseling techniques, theories and strategies are utilized to help each you reach your goals where progress, set backs and achievements are noted and reflected upon. Counseling has a specific time frame where there is a beginning, a middle and an end. There are many theories of counseling.  In addition to my use of art therapy, I also utilize the following strategies and frameworks.

I tend to work from a strengths based approach where skills, abilities and achievements are noted and valued. I like to incorporate these strengths into the therapy process while you are perhaps working through difficult and painful issues. This can help strengthen your ability to cope and manage while also instilling hope.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is based on the idea that our thoughts cause our feelings and behaviors, not external things, like people, situations, and events. The benefit of this fact is that we can change the way we think to feel/act better even if the situation does not change.

Mindfulness is all about learning how to live in the present. So much of our life is spent unconsciously worrying about the future or being absorbed in issues from the past that we miss out on many wonderful moments that are happening in the present. Through the practice of mindfulness, you will learn to enrich your experience of everyday living by being more fully present. You will learn stress management techniques for improved coping. This form of therapy has been used with patients struggling with chronic pain and a multitude of medical issues.