Gregory Smith

I approach counseling from a tripartite view of the person in that we are a body, soul and spirit. I understand that we can be sick in either of these area, and I seek to provide care in the soul and spirit areas while also being able to recognize when other medical professionals are required to care for the body. I believe that each person has had unique experiences, and therefore, therapy should meet the distinct needs of what the person is currently experiencing. I use a combination of Christian based Cognitive Behavior Therapy, ART (Accelerated Resolution Therapy), EMDR, Narrative Therapy, and Guided Imagery for highly dissociated clients to help them understand what is the root of their problem. I use active listening, homework, and psychoeducational discussions to help the client understand their condition, and to help them establish goals for therapy. A lot of the clients I counsel have had adverse childhood experiences resulting in dissociative disorders, PTSD, and many other disorders. The treatment for this requires a special set of skills to help the client discover some of the underlying causes for their present day troubles, that were established earlier in life. By creating a storyline of the events the client has experienced in life, I am able to help them understand reoccurring themes that begun long ago, and has usually continued through life keeping them off balance and often confused leading ultimately to their need of counseling. With some clients and depending on their individual needs, I use Alpha-Stim Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation for help with treating anxiety, depression, PTSD, and insomnia. (in office clients only.) I hold an unconditional positive regard and acceptance for clients and take a non-judgmental position, communicated through empathetic understanding. I consider the client’s perspective and their needs as the foundation for therapy. Since therapy often involves discussing unpleasant aspects of our life, you may experience uncomfortable feelings like sadness, guilt, anger, frustration, loneliness and helplessness. On the other hand, counseling has been shown to have benefits for people who go through it. Therapy can lead to better relationships, learning new ways to cope with or solve problems, developing of new skills, significant reduction in feelings of distress, changing unwanted behaviors, and improved self-esteem. But there are no guarantees of what you will experience. Counseling is a process of personal exploration and may lead to major changes in your life perspectives and decisions. Together we will work to achieve the best possible results for you. Our first few sessions will likely involve an evaluation of your needs. By the end of the evaluation, I will be able to offer some ideas of what our work will include along with a treatment plan if you decide to continue with therapy. It is important for you to evaluate this information along with your own opinions of whether you feel comfortable working with me. Therapy involves a large commitment of time, money, and energy. If you have any questions about my procedures, we can discuss them whenever they arise. If doubts persist, I will be happy to refer you to another counseling professional. I normally conduct an assessment that will last from 1-2 sessions. During this time, we can both decide if I am the best person to provide the services you need in order to meet your treatment goals. Once therapy has begun, I will usually schedule one 120 minute session per week at a time we agree on. I look forward to hearing from you if you would like to learn more. Please feel free to email, text or call me at 762-261-1090.