No, I am not a Mental Health Counselor or Psychotherapist. I am a unique type of Life Coach.

When most people say "Counseling" or "Psychotherapy," they mean the type of counseling offered as part of medical treatment. With this type of medical treatment, people find a state-licensed provider, they usually use their medical insurance, the counselor diagnoses a disease or disorder in the patient, the counselor develops a treatment plan—often without much active participation from the patient, and the counselor provides medical treatment.

Mental Health Counselors and Psychotherapists often say as little as possible as a way to analyze their patients' impressions of them, they analyze past conflicts patients had with parents and lovers and others, they encourage patients to vent emotions in the session, and they support the patient's current emotional state without teaching clear and specific skills for feeling better soon. Even if a medical provider wants to apply a different style of counseling to the sessions—for example, CBT, it all feels the same: there is a doctor and a patient, you should obey doctor's orders, and talking for an hour or filling out a worksheet at home is supposed to be like "taking a pill" for your "disease."

I don't work with patients, and I don't think in terms of diseases and disorders. When we work together, I use a teaching-learning approach that gets you to:

• Reach your personal goals
• Feel good and peaceful every step of the way
• Feel deep, consistent satisfaction about how your life is going

I think that Psychotherapy is great for most teenagers and for any adults who are unaware of how their childhoods affect them to this day. It also provides helpful medical care for people with serious psychiatric diagnoses. Finally, I think it's always important to have a sympathetic ear and to feel supported. However, I work with people who want to learn skills for building a better future, not with people wanting to revisit their past or who want emotional support without working to change.

Clients of mine transitioning from psychotherapy often remark that, although they are glad they participated in psychotherapy and cared for their therapists deeply, they now prefer my practical advice and skills building as a way to move on.

Moving forward always feels good, doesn't it? So, why not get started now? Give me a call at 410-949-7888 or email me to set up an appointment for a free, half-hour consultation meeting...at my office, on the phone, or online!