Individual Therapy

These are some of the signs or issues that prompt people to seek counseling:

• stress or anxiety
• depression
• academic motivation
• career choice confusion
• eating disorders
• substance abuse
• family relationship conflicts
• financial stress
• grief/loss issues
• intimacy, commitment, or relationship issues
• identity concerns (e.g., ethnic/racial identity; sexual orientation, spiritual identity)
• thoughts or feelings about suicide or self-harm
• anger or thoughts of violence

What happens in counseling depends on the unique needs and strengths of each person seeking assistance.  For this reason, each counseling experience is unique, just as every individual is unique.

Typically, the first few sessions are spent clarifying the problem and examining what solutions have already been tried.  This process assists the counselor in determining which counseling strategies will be most helpful to you.  Once you clarify your issues, you and the counselor will delineate counseling goals.

There are many approaches to dealing with these issues.  Often, the process will include learning new problem-solving or coping skills, increasing self-understanding, exploring life patterns, and gaining a better sense of how you are influenced by your surroundings.