Category Archives: Couseling and Recovery

More than just therapy

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​As a new entrepreneur, I was prepared to wear the many hats of owning my own business. Today I submitted a proposal that will expand my services from just therapy, to include other mental health professionals. I submitted a workshop for ethics to the licensing board. Their website says to allow “adequate time for processing,” which is a polite way of saying no to bug them constantly. I think three months in advance is a good amount of time. 
If approved in the next month or two that will allow plenty of time for marketing. This is another area that I am learning to be familiar with. I mostly use social media, but I have also been trying to meet as many professionals in person as I can to get my name out there. Yesterday I attended a new business workshop for FREE and later this month there is a networking mixer I plan to attend.

It just takes a few Google searches to find amazing networking opportunities in my area. To anyone starting their own private practice, don’t underestimate the power of word of mouth.

Other avenues I use for marketing is contacting doctors, spas, and other businesses that can send referrals.

Comment if you have any additional ideas for marketing without being annoying.

Private Practice

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Several colleagues have a vision of one day owning their own private practice. I decided while I was still under supervision that I did not want to wait. I did research on mistakes others made and ways to have a successful practice. The most important aspect I would say is networking. If I did not make and maintain good relationships with other counselors I doubt I would have the practice I do now. I am not at the all desired six figure practice with all self pay clients. Realistically any starting company is going to take long hours and whatever work will come your way. Through humble beginnings of a combination of medicaid clients and contract work I aspire to eventually attain a full fledged practice.

I hear arguments all the time with reasons people do not start their own practice. What I really hear is fear. Fear of failure or poverty, maybe a combo I don’t know. Coming from nothing I think puts me at an advantage right now because I know how to live like no one else today. One day I will have nice things and sleep eight hours a night. Right now I’m happy to work hard, learn something new every day, and write in this blog hoping to find fellow Tulsans to share my name if they have a friend that might want to talk.

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Equality in Solution Focused Brief Therapy

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The way I speak on this blog, I allow my words to flow freely and may say things potentially offensive. This is okay because blogging and therapy are very different creatures. I think the coolest thing that could happen from writing this blog post is that others will begin dialogue in the comments section.

To be able to work with a diverse population and be effective in achieving treatment plan goals is something that many counselors desire. I feel like SFBT will increase my efficacy when working with various populations that have different backgrounds than me.

I have probably come across another single bisexual Hispanic female that was raised in poverty with a mentally ill mother and are now part of the middle class. While others may share my upbringing and lens of the world, the fact is that most people sitting across from me have an entirely different lens through which they see the world. The freedom that SFBT allows is for me to explore the world through each consumer’s lens and each individual’s experiences.

Some of the worst things a counselor can say in my opinion include “get over it,” “I understand,” and “it will get better with time.” Who the hell am I to say with any accuracy that the proverbial ‘it’ will always get better with the passing of time?! With good intentions, clinicians have the ability to enhance potentiation or do serious damage. The most appealing piece of SFBT is it has not been found to cause any harm.

Occasionally I speak before thinking, a good example of that is when I told a coworker that he did not strike me as a “male man,” at which time he informed me he was very much a manly man and did all sorts of manly things like working on cars and watching sports. Can you imagine if I put my foot that far in my mouth in a session with a consumer?! By allowing the consumer to set the language for the session, nothing said will be offensive because I can use their language. I can ask questions with curiosity without saying something potentially indelicate.

“Solutions need not be directly related to the problems they are meant to solve.” -Steve de Shazer

Evolving Into The Solution Focused Brief Therapy Mindset

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Prior to meeting anyone in the field, my understanding of Solutioned Focused Brief Therapy was that it is a modality. That’s it. I honestly did not know what to expect. Arriving in Colorado for the SFBT Training with Teri Pichot, I noticed awesome new landscapes that I had never experienced before. My hope for SFBT is that it would be one more tool in my box of therapy knowledge. I thought it was right alongside Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, etcetera. I was WRONG. This new type of therapy is much more than just another way of therapy, it is a new way of thinking and approaching consumers.
Most clinicians are taught from a problem solving point of view, this is also true for myself. Learning to focus on solutions instead of problems is proving to be very difficult, but I am confident it is doable. I am currently attending the 2016 Annual SFBT Expo, where I am meeting a multitude of clinicians all with their own experiences of SFBT.
The more I hear, see, and practice the principles of SFBT, the more of a reality I see with consumers. Almost fully licensed, (I just have to submit my hours) I have decided the areas of focus I am interested in include substance abuse, trauma, lgbt issues, prison inmates, and life adjustments such as divorce, moving, work stress, weight loss, etcetera.
I am not yet sure how to fulfill all of my interests while working primarily with chemically dependent consumers, but I am determined and willing to work weekends. My best hopes for the next year is to implement the solution focused mindset effectively with consumers and with myself.
“Problem talk creates problems – Solution talk creates solutions”
Steve de Shazer (1940-2005)

Sobriety and Support

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I have never been one to care about the letters that come after my name, but with the encouragement of an awesome employer, I went ahead and applied to be a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor. Below is the personal philosophy I wrote for my applications. Feel free to start a dialogue about drug/alcohol counseling in the comments. I’ll get you started….Do you think counselors that are in recovery are any more competent in their counseling abilities of substance abuse issues than clinicians that have never had a substance abuse issue?
A personal philosophy of counseling is essential for every counselor to be cognizant of in order to practice competently. Various methods and approaches can be effective with mental health and substance abuse treatments. The preferred methods I utilize are primarily Person-Centered Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, more specifically, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. An important aspect to consider when counseling includes finding the approach that most accurately matches the needs of the consumer receiving services.
 
Treatment of substance abuse disorders is not typically the only problem that individuals need to process in counseling. Everyone has stressors in their lives to some extent and a person that abuses or is dependent on drugs and/or alcohol is no exception. Carl Rogers emphasized three characteristics that has resonated in my therapeutic relationships: genuineness, unconditional positive regard, and empathy. These characteristics can be integrated when identifying, processing, and becoming mindful of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
 
Our own life experiences often shape our values and treatment preferences. The efficacy of the above mentioned modalities were utilized in my personal life for nicotine cessation. After 12 years of nicotine dependence, I was able to successfully discontinue use of nicotine products. Whether a drug of choice is alcohol, nicotine, methamphetamine, opiates, or other substances, a person is capable of discontinuing use and learning relapse prevention strategies. A support system and person’s readiness to change are key components in their success rate. By becoming a Certified Alcohol Drug Counselor I intend to continue working with individuals that present with both mental health and substance abuse disorders.