Scott Darks M.A., LPC-MHSP

Anxiety shows up in different ways, so the treatment for each person may be different. For some it may be about realizing what their anxiety looks like and feels like before work can begin. Some people may describe feeling irritable or restless and not recognize it as "anxiety". For some it is about understanding what their triggers are and why they show up. While for others it may be about learning coping skills to calm the breathing or slow down the racing thoughts.

Depression is more than just not having energy or not wanting to be around people. And treatment requires more than "just try harder" or "try to be more grateful in life". While some of this may be beneficial, to simplify it in this way also doesn't give the necessary respect to what is happening. Working with depression will take approaching from a few different angles and in different areas of life.

In counseling, the relationship is the client, not one person or the other. It can be necessary to talk about details and what each person did or did not do, but the focus is on what type of relationship you want. What does your ideal relationship look like, does each person share that idea, and what would it look like if you started working towards that relationship. There are different types of relationships, and different issues like infidelity that need specific approaches within this.

CBT is synonymous with talk therapy. It may include talking through an issue that continues to arise in a client's life, discussing different possibilities and perspectives, and gaining some understanding of why this issue is ongoing. In other cases, it may be goal that a client wants to reach, what that goal might look like in their life, and if anything is getting in the way. Looking at how thoughts and behaviors connect and how change is possible, with a focus on now and moving forward.

Couples counseling can take many forms and have many different goals. It may be premarital and focused on getting prepared for what marriage brings. It may focus on an issue between the partners, or on the family and parenting. The sessions may include understanding connection, working through major obstacles, or understanding family dynamics or influences from the past. Through it all, the focus is on the relationship, what your ideal relationship looks like and taking steps in that direction.

Couples counseling can take many forms and have many different goals. It may be premarital and focused on getting prepared for what marriage brings. It may focus on an issue between the partners, or on the family and parenting. The sessions may include understanding connection, working through major obstacles, or understanding family dynamics or influences from the past. Through it all, the focus is on the relationship, what your ideal relationship looks like, and taking steps in that direction.

As the name suggests, this therapy style is purely solution focused. There is no time spent on identifying the history or causes of the problem. There is a focus on the future the client wants to work towards, and the strengths and resources the client may have that can be relied on and pulled from when creating this future. The sessions are focused on creating change quicky by assuming that even though the issue may be complex, the solution may be very simple.