What I love most about counseling is the fact that the therapeutic process works and the therapeutic relationship presents every participant with the opportunity for personal growth and development.  Counseling is a partnership, a relationship that occurs through collaboration, not something that happens to you.  Counseling can be very emotional and very difficult at times but it is mostly very rewarding and empowering.  I believe that everyone has an inner drive to be the very best they can be. 

    Despite our losses and a few setbacks now and again, our life's journey is usually manageable.  Most of the time we do extremely well in adjusting and adapting to the changes that occur on a daily basis.  Most of the time we can maneuver around all of the obstacles that get in our way.

    There are times in everyone's life when unresolved issues from the past or too many obstacles in the present haunt us or occur at one time making it difficult to function.  There are times when these obstacles seem too intimidating to confront but if avoided grow exponentially, creating an atmosphere of despair and a life of stress and anxiety.  Unresolved problems interfere with personal growth by crushing dreams and preventing the accomplishment of goals.  Even routine daily activities can become unbearably burdensome, depleting our energy and eliminating our motivation to keep trying, especially when nothing seems to change.  For some, there is a loss of interest in things once enjoyed and life becomes dull and meaningless.  Others rely on substances to escape the daily pressures and disappointments that become overwhelming or to cope with unbearable grief and loss.

    This seemingly inescapable downward spiral is not all-powerful and all-consuming.  The cycle can be broken and turned into an opportunity for growth.  I believe that everyone has the capacity and the desire to heal and to overcome life's challenges no matter how daunting.  I believe that everyone has the capacity to find pleasure in all that life has to offer.  I believe that everyone can find purpose and meaning in their lives no matter what obstacles they encounter.  I believe in people and in their extraordinary ability and powerful inner drive to overcome any situation so they may continue their personal journey with confidence.