Steve's Approach to Counseling & Therapy
My favorite quote is "Nothing splendid has ever been achieved except by those who dared believe that something inside them was superior to circumstance" -Bruce Barton.
I love this quote because I truly believe people can change if they choose to. However, it does take some time and emotional work. My job as a therapist is to try to help an individual down the path to psychological well-being. I like to use my knowledge and skills as a clinician and draw from personal experience to achieve this goal. I take an individualized and holistic approach when treating people. Each person has his or her own individual response to emotional pain, stress and struggle and it is imperative to incorporate the many facets of someone’s life in order to achieve effective treatment results. I like to employ elements of Solution Focused Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Coping Skills training, and Mindfulness training. I believe self-awareness is key in bringing about change in oneself. One can learn a lot about themselves through self-examination. Hopefully, the therapist can assist in helping the person become more self-aware and more conscious of self. This in turn should help the individual know how circumstances affect their feelings and reactions. Once this is achieved, learning and practicing ways to bring about the desired change becomes feasible.
Life is constant, flowing and unpredictable so it is important to try to bring balance into one’s life to prevent being overwhelmed. However, this needs to be done in a realistic manner. I like to work with people to set small goals and increase the goals as therapy moves along. Each accomplishment helps to inspire the individual to continue their growth and to take on new challenges as they arise.
