"Change your thoughts and you change your world." - Norman Vincent Peale

 

As a professional mental health practitioner I would like to provide services for individuals, families, and couple that have a deeply held religious faith as a vital part of their lives. I am a person of faith that includes a heritage spanning back over fifteen generations. Many clients have expressed fear regarding the incorporation of their faith background into therapy. I understand those concerns.

 

Sometimes concerns include:
Will the counselor respect my beliefs? Will the counselor provide direction that does not align with my beliefs? In a professional therapy environment, all faiths and belief systems will be respected! During a client-centered counseling session, it is the client’s morals, beliefs system, and religion that are valued as the client is who treatment is focused on. Contrary to popular belief a therapist does not provide you with advice or tell you what you should do.

 

A therapist collaborates with you to set and accomplish your goals. They have extensive knowledge of and insight regarding family dynamics, cycles or behavior, and theories for deeper understanding. The therapist will have access to tools, interventions, specialized training and to assist the client in processing.

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Often it is said, the problem is not the problem, but rather how a person views the problem and reacts to it. In addition, I have been trained, educated, and experienced the majority of the world religions - from Mennonite to visiting Mosques in Los Angeles, from Buddhist Temples to living with animistic tribes of the Amazon, I have experienced a wide variety of belief systems. I believe in inclusion, acceptance, and appreciation of each person’s belief system.

I consider having my own faith and belief system enough of a reason to respect yours. I believe that regardless of our faith, we can learn from other belief systems to enrich our lives. For example, a person does not have to be Hindu in order to learn pranayama (breath work) and how that lowers our heart rate to decrease anxiety and thwart a potential panic attack.

 

With my psychological training and life experiences immersed in multiculturalism, it is my hope to inspire clients to grow deeper in their own faith as well as appreciating the differences in the cultures, beliefs, and experiences around us.