Approach to mental Wellness
Mental wellness is the cornerstone for how we approach our lives, to how we experience our moments of joy, to how we handle our periods of despair. When our mental health suffers, so does our ability to approach life in a meaningful way. We get stuck in our head, lose perspective or distance ourselves from those we love. Only when we feel validated, heard, trusted and genuinely understood can we be safe enough to reflect on ourselves. This reflection allows us to admit what is not working and the freedom to change our perspectives so we can serve ourselves better. I will do more than just offer a space for self exploration but will help you make meaningful and effective change in your life.
What is the Therapeutic Working Alliance?
As a counselor educator, professor and researcher I have been fascinated with what makes therapy work. I had a client once tell me it seemed I used magic fairy dust to help what felt like unending and irreconcilable suffering go away. Another started therapy with low expectations to rediscover themself in less than 6 months. It is hard to explain the perfect recipe for the therapeutic process, but over the course of my career I learned about the variables that make the difference between ‘just a place to talk’ and a place where people make meaningful and lasting change.
We have learned that the therapeutic working alliance, or the strength of the collaborative working relationship between the therapist and client, is the catalyst toward effective change in client’s lives (Horvath, 2015.) Furthermore, we have learned that the working alliance is more predictive of therapeutic success than the interventions or theoretical model. This alliance is comprised of three areas: bond, task and goal.
Bond
Represents the degree to which a client feels understood, respected, genuinely cared for, appreciated, confident and trusting towards their therapist.
Goal
The agreement between the client and therapist on the main issues and the general direction of therapy, shared sense of progress and clear understanding of what is and is not working
Task
Represents the client’s agreement with what the therapist is doing in session, perception of the effectiveness of the techniques and general structure of the session.
My Approach
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