Counseling can be a rewarding experience. It is not everyday that you get the opportunity to share and work through anything that’s on your mind in a safe, judgment-free space with a trained professional.

1. You will learn more about yourself. Our counselors can provide guidance and recommendations to help you move forward after you share your story and experiences with them.
2. Counseling can help you learn healthier skills to address issues in your life. Often times, people want to know the “how” to handling their issues. Our counselors can provide insight into how to understand and deal with issues from a healthier place emotionally and mentally.
3. Counseling can help you achieve your goals. Even if you are not sure what your goals are at your first appointment, our counselors can assist you with getting clarity.
4. With counseling, you will more than likely experience better overall health. Research draws multiple connections between overall improvement in your health due to the interconnected nature of the mind, body, and spirit in health and wellness.

There are multiple factors as to why counseling may not have worked for you previously. Sometimes, it can take time for symptoms or issues to change. There is also no single, approach that works for everyone all the time. We recommend you look for a counselor who treats what you’re experiencing. Our counselors are ethical and will discuss if they are not a good fit or if what you’re experiencing is outside of their ability to treat. Ultimately, it’s important to find a good fit. If you did not feel understood in counseling before, were misdiagnosed, or could not seem to connect with your previous counselor, we recommend you continue to prioritize your health and find a good fit.

Some people wait until they are in a point of crisis, and/ or they begin to have physical health issues before they consider counseling. We believe in the importance of prevention and maintenance when it comes to your mental health. Prioritize your mental and emotional health as an important part of your general health and seek support as necessary. Some factors to consider:

1. If the issue you’re experiencing is taking up significant time in your day by thinking or worrying about it.
2. If the issue you’re experiencing is limiting your ability to engage in work, your home life, your relationships, and things you would typically enjoy.
3. If the issue causes shame and guilt. You continue to avoid it and/or are using unhealthy ways to cope.
4. If the issue results in significant changes in your life that you are struggling to make sense of or accept.
5. If you are experiencing changes in your mood and behaviors that you are having difficulty managing, and it is affecting your quality of life.
6. If you have experienced past trauma or painful experiences that are not resolved and continue to affect your current functioning and relationships.
7. If people who care about you have expressed their concern for your well-being.

At Whole Journey, we embrace an integrative, holistic approach to our services. We do not provide medication. We are willing to provide referrals and coordinate care with any of your providers who prescribe medication for your needs.

Not at all. People who ask for help know when they need it and have the ability to reach out. Everyone needs help now and then. You already have some strengths that you’ve used before, that for whatever reason isn’t working right now. Perhaps this problem feels overwhelming and is making it difficult to access your past strengths. In our work together, I’ll help you identify what those strengths are and how to implement them again in what is happening now.

Because each person has different issues and goals for therapy, therapy will be different depending on the individual. I tailor my therapeutic approach to your specific needs

Medication alone cannot solve all issues. What medication does is treat the symptoms. Our work together is designed to explore the root of the issue, dig deep into your behavior and teach strategies that can help you accomplish your personal and/or relational goals.

Medication can be effective and is sometimes needed in conjunction with therapy.

If you are concerned about your relationship, and you would both like to work with me, I would initially work with both of you together. After this work, if one of you would like to continue in individual sessions, I could work with only one of you. It is not helpful to move from individual into couple’s work with the same therapist because of potential trust issues.

The difference is between someone who can do something, and someone who has the training and experience to do that same thing professionally. A mental health professional can help you approach your situation in a new way– teach you new skills, gain different perspectives, listen to you without judgment or expectations, and help you listen to yourself. Furthermore, therapy is completely confidential. You won’t have to worry about others “knowing my business.” Lastly, if your situation provokes a great deal of negative emotion, if you’ve been confiding in a friend or family member, there is the risk that once you are feeling better you could start avoiding that person so you aren’t reminded of this difficult time in your life.

Unfortunately, this is not possible to say in a general FAQs page. Everyone’s circumstances are unique to them and the length of time therapy can take to allow you to accomplish your goals depends on your desire for personal development, your commitment, and the factors that are driving you to seek therapy in the first place.