James offers counseling for individuals (10 yrs old and up), couples and familes. Treatment specialization includes:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Perfectionism
- Codependency
- Stress Management
- Anger Management
- Conflict Resolution
- Premarital and Marital
- Parenting
- Bullying
- Impulse Control Disorders
We all want happiness, contentment and a general sense of satisfaction with ourselves and in our relationships. But life's challenges can often throw us off track. Therapy is an opportunity to more thoroughly understand the obstacles that get in our way and discover ways to cope with them. Many times clients describe themselves as feeling "stuck" and "overwhelmed". Therapy offers an opportunity to "regroup" and discover ways to become "un-stuck" and confident you can deal with life's ups and downs. We all have a certain vision of the way we "want" to be and the way we "want" our relationships to be. When our vision of what we want and how we see ourselves match, we feel good...significant...successful! When our vision of what we want and how we see ourselves doesn't match this often leads to feelings of discouragement. In some cases, this discouragement can lead to more severe emotional problems. The overall goal of therapy is to assist you in moving from feelings of discouragement to a feeling of contentment....to be happy and hopeful about where you are in life. We learn to focus on what we can change and let the rest go. We do the possible and let God do the impossible. James believes overcoming feelings of discouragement and being content in life involves truly accepting the Serenity Prayer: "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change, the courage the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference". He believes it's not what you go through in life, but your reaction to it that often leads to emotional difficulties. In addition, James believes that we all inherit weaknesses in our bodies and when our capacity to cope with life's stressors is reached the inherited weakness or "predisposition" will be revealed. A predisposition is an inborn or acquired tendency to respond to the environment in a particular way. The type of predispositions vary: anxiety, depression, back aches, migraines, gastrointestinal disorders, etc. Sometimes, in addition to counseling, medication is helpful in alleviating these symptoms. James is not a doctor, but he does have doctors he refers to in these situations. Although we can inherit these tendencies, many struggles that "run in families" are not passed on genetically. They are just unhealthy patterns of behavior that are past down from generation to generation. Fortunately, these "Cycles of Dysfunction" can be broken by choosing to respond in a more productive way.
The Therapists Role
The therapists role is to act as a guide to help you through the process described above. In a relaxed, caring environment, James will offer encouragement in coping with your situation, but he will also challenge you to change current ways of thinking and behaviors that are not "working for you". During therapy he will assist you in 1) challenging misconceptions leading to faulty thinking 2) dealing with past hurt which might be contributing to current problems 3) exploring family of origin issues as they relate to what brought you to therapy 4) clarifying goals for therapy 5) finding a healthy balance between work, family and fun 6) examining how your physical and spiritual condition affects current emotional function 7) finding healthy ways to cope with emotions and unhealthy relationships in you life.
Your Role
You will be encouraged to be an active participant in therapy. The plan is for you to do most of the talking! You will be challenged to move our of your comfort zone and practice new ways of thinking and behaving. There is also work to do on your own. Whether it's individual, family or marriage counseling, there is often "homework" involved. It's quick and easy though...No math! The homework might to read something, complete a worksheet, keep a journal, try new behaviors, etc. It's like anything else, you get out of it what you put into it.
Reasons People Seek Counseling :
- Strained relationships with partners or family
- Increased anxiety
- Significant depression
- Grief, loss, and other trauma issues
- Life stage struggles
- Diminished self-esteem
- Job-related stress
Change can be a difficult process. By working collaboratively in therapy, your goals will emerge and we can develop strategies and a plan of action. These steps may include :
- Increasing self-awareness or self-knowledge, including understanding your role in creating solutions.
- Learning to cope more effectively in difficult circumstances.
- Building close, positive relationships and healthy support systems.