My Approach to Helping
Congratulations for taking the first step towards change! My goal is to assist you in building coping strategies and developing tools to live a more meaningful and fulfilling life by overcoming anxiety, imposter syndrome, and mental blocks. Change and healing happens when we are honest and express our authentic selves. We all carry the power and strength inside of us to revolutionize our lives. Let's discover your genuine self together to help you live a fulfilling life! You hold the keys to a better you. I look forward to helping you find those keys and unlocking your purposeful future. Change does take work but it can happen!
I utilize many methods with clients during sessions (expressive art, acceptance and commitment therapy, trauma focused therapy, positive psychology, etc.) I sometimes give homework to help my clients achieve their goals. I work with individual adults (18+) Whether it's trauma, stress, or a mixture of things, I look forward to working with you!
The Duration and Frequency of Therapy
Sooo...how long will this therapy thing take?...
...As long as it needs to. I get asked this question a lot. At the 3 month or 12 session mark of therapy, we evaluate and assess our progress and how you've been doing in therapy.
The better question is, how long have you been having your symptoms or dealing with the reasons why you are coming to therapy? A day? A week? 30 years? Chances are your symptoms or mental challenges didn't develop overnight and your appropriate length of treatment reflects this.
Once goals are met, we extend or increase the goal post(s) to continue improvement and progress.
Another better question is, does improvement, development, and healing ever stop?
We're told to go to see our doctors once a year, go to the dentist once or twice a year, exercise and eat well regularly, etc. Why should therapy (which is another branch of healthcare) be treated any differently? The biggest difference in mental health treatment is that mental health care involves readjustment and check ups of the mind and soul more than the physical body and internal organs? Right? Wait? Isn't the brain a part of the physical body and also an internal organ?
I remember I had a professor in graduate school once tell me, "Your job as a therapist is to ensure that one day, you never see them again."
Would your doctors tell you that? Your dentist? How about your personal trainer? Nutritionist? Life coach?
Therapy is no different. Why do we keep going to the above professionals more than once a lifetime? The answers are the same for therapy.
But you could heal your mind, soul, and spirit without therapy, right? Maybe? Maybe not.
Reading about anxiety and trauma isn't the same as talking to a professional who is trained to treat mental illness symptoms. Just like watching YouTube videos about diabetes, sleep apnea, or cancer, isn't the same as going to a doctor to treat or cure these things.
Mind, body, and soul comprise the wholeness of the human experience and there are experts that can help us with these things. Therapy is a puzzle piece that is a part of this big picture of the human experience.
Imagine that over time in therapy, your major symptoms disappear, lessen, or you're able to manage them better. Does that mean that you are now guaranteed that you will never experience future problems, stressors, or issues in your life? Is it guaranteed that you will always know how to handle and deal with the rest of your life effectively, efficiently, and in a healthy way? And if you do, is it guaranteed that you will do these things consistently and habitually? Is it guaranteed that you will never need reminders and refreshers on the things that you already know but often forget?
Let's broaden this conversation some. Would your barber or hairstylist tell you, "Okay I'm going to provide service to you today or maybe a few times for a little while in the hopes that you'll never come back to me again" ? How about your yoga instructor? Would your car maintenance and repair shop say that?
As long as you've got a brain, you can benefit from habitually and regularly scheduled therapy sessions. If you're willing to invest in your car, family, education, business, art, etc., remember that none of these things matter if you don't maintain the function of your mind. You need a healthy brain and thought processes to continue to show up for your business, your family and friends, and your artistic pursuits and commissions.
Here at Christel Clear Counseling, we flip the script on how a lot of us think about therapy and mental healthcare. We believe it?s a lifestyle choice for optimal health and wellbeing much like so many other areas of our lives. We challenge the stigma and belief system that therapy is for ?crazy people.? Whether or not you have a diagnosed or undiagnosed mental health condition recognized by the American Psychological Association or not, our minds need maintenance, tune ups, and check in?s in order to stay and maintain as healthy as possible.
Unless you feel that you?re someone who believes that your ability to grow, change, and evolve for the better is capped and has a ceiling, therapy IS for you.
It doesn?t matter if you are a therapist or other medical professional yourself. It doesn?t matter how many self help books and podcasts that you listen to. It doesn?t matter how much education or vocational training that you have. If you?re a surgeon, it?s much easier (and better) to allow a surgeon to perform surgery on you than you perform surgery on yourself. Maybe not impossible, but what?s your preference?
How long do you intend to live on this planet with a brain? Do you want it to be in control of you or you of it? Do you want it to be healthy so that you can do and be what matters most to you?
Christel Clear Counseling is here to help.
Now, you tell me, how long do YOU think your therapy should last and how often should you go?
Remember that therapy does not look the same for everyone, but it can offer valuable support and guidance for personal challenges throughout your life!
