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Three Stage Model of Individual Counseling

Although counseling is not for everyone, and some problems are not resolved by counseling, my experience as a scientist and practitioner is that talking things over with a trained helper can be useful for most persons. The journey towards emotional growth and healing is difficult and you don’t have to do it alone.

When I ask patients to describe ideally how they would want their counselor to be, many qualities are listed: concern for the patient as a human being, empathy, honesty, acceptance, respect, a good listener, humor, patience, encouraging, and openness. The answers I get are remarkably varied. But, what all people seem to want is someone who provides the kind of relationship that helps them explore their issues and supports them. In this way, my approach can be called relationship oriented counseling

My counseling approach is based on theory proposed by Carl Rogers, called Client-Centered Counseling. The focus of this treatment is on clarifying, understanding and accepting the feelings and experiences that you have about yourself, relationships and your life. Rogers’ theory has been carefully studied. Considerable research evidence has supported his model. In fact, the attitudes he proposed are endorsed by most helping professionals, as they form the basis of establishing a good working relationship between patient and therapist.

What can you expect? Persons who receive Client-Centered Counseling typically go through three stages, as they go through treatment.

Self-Exploration Self Exploration

Invariably, as my patients experience being listened to, they feel free to explore themselves and their negative feelings. Helping you to explore yourself, by listening and trying to understand, is like being a mirror for you. This stage of counseling helps you look at yourself…how you’d like to be and how you actually are. When sufficient time has been spent on this stage, the blocks to emotional growth seem more manageable to overcome; skipping this stage and trying to force premature solutions often leads to discouraging results.

Self-AcceptanceSelf Acceptance

Gradually, the non-judgmental acceptance I try to communicate in the session leads to a sense of acceptance… of yourself, others and reality. You come to understand that it is not experience that causes distress, but how we interpret that experience.

Self-acceptance is a hard-won and very valuable personality asset, as it is a buffer from overly harsh self-criticism. It is realistic self-appraisal, where limitations are recognized and compensated for, and balanced with a healthy valuing of oneself as unique and special. Greater comfort with yourself allows you to be more honest and open with others, instead of withdrawing in isolation. As you realize others accept you for who you are, you start to change your image of yourself.

Self-Change

Finally, these changes get worked through and applied in everyday life so that your functioning improves. With a greater awareness of yourself comes new-found energy to make changes to improve your life. You may take risks that you never thought possible before. Here is where my role becomes more like a coach. I’ll be encouraging and assisting you to make changes until you can make them on your own.
Dr. James Gormally
| 806 East Franklin Avenue | Silver Spring, MD 20901 | 301 587 6205 |
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