Anna Cole, LCMHC is our Lead Therapist
Counseling offers you the opportunity to invest in your personal well-being and growth in the context of a helping relationship. Your goals for seeking counseling will give direction to our work together and will influence the therapeutic approaches I use. My style of counseling is informed by several different theories which include family systems, behavioral, psychodynamic and educational approaches.
A key component of counseling includes the relationship between the counselor and client. It is important for you to have a safe place to explore feelings and concerns, to receive feedback and support. I will invite you be an active participant in helping me to understand you and your concerns as well as letting me know if there is anything occurring in the sessions that causes you distress. This information will assist us both to create a safe and helpful environment.
Another important component of therapy is to provide you with the tools and insights that will help you with your concerns and goals. Again this will involve your active participation in sharing your “story”, exploring feelings and sometimes doing projects outside of sessions such as reading, journaling, information gathering or making changes. Very often what you want will become clearer to you as you are able to talk about your feelings in a place of acceptance. This opportunity to explore and examine your experiences can lead to a clarity that enhances your insight and ability to make healthy and necessary changes in your life. In this way, you learn to access, trust and use your own internal resources for well being and health. You also learn to identify and reach for helpful resources and persons outside of yourself. These are the benefits of therapy.