LPC, 11 years of experience
My name is Rodney Skinner, and I am married and have 7 kids. I am a counselor because I love being a part of helping someone have a more fulfilling life. I have experience working with kids and adolescents with ADHD, oppositional/defiant behaviors, poor self-esteem, grief and loss, sexual and physical abuse, depression, anxiety and social anxiety disorders. I also have extensive experience with marital counseling, parenting skills, family difficulties, divorce recovery, domestic violence situations, blended family situations, obsessive/compulsive situations and chronic illness. I first focus on developing a trusting, non-judgmental and safe relationship with the person. I use an eclectic approach to counseling, utilizing evidence based treatments that pertain to the individuals stressors and needs. Sometimes past situations need to be explored and effectively dealt with in order to heal, forgive, understand, and implement new thoughts and skills to have a more fulfilling life. My overall passion is working with adolescents, parenting situations, marital relationships, depression, anxiety and chronic illness. My hobbies are spending time with my family, watching my kids play sports and hunting.
In the first session we will focus on getting to know each other and developing a safe, caring, trusting relationship so we can accurately work on the goals you want to achieve. Counseling is a genuine relationship that takes time to build. Then we can identify and work towards the goals you want to achieve in your life.
I try to see what you see, through your eyes. I try to see the strengths and potential you have in life. I genuinely care about what you want, not what society or others expect of you. I have often been told "it's obvious you really care".
I love helping people learn about themselves and the potential they have in life. My passion is to be a part of helping them discover the keys to those doors in their life.
I use an eclectic approach to therapy, which uses evidence-based practices from different theories to provide the most effective treatment. For depression and anxiety, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is often used because learning coping skills to replace inaccurate/negative automatic thoughts, with true/accurate thoughts, can help manage anxiety and depression. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy also explores how we developed the belief system that makes up our way of interpretating, processing and responding to the situations we encounter. Often, exploring and developing a healthier belief system promotes healing, healthier interpretating, processing and responding to life's situations. Moral Recognition Therapy can be helpful when patterns, past experiences and dysfunctional cycles have occurred, and changes need to be identified and implemented to change the future behaviors. This approach can be helpful with domestic violence, anger management and other physically abusive situations.
I grew up in a Christian home that taught me Biblical principles that have helped me have a faith in more than myself, Jesus Christ. If interested, I am very happy to incorporate Christian, Godly principles and beliefs in our sessions. I will never push any beliefs on you. You decide what you want to incorporate in the sessions
I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people learn how to think accurately about past and current situations in their lives. Sometimes people develop an inaccurate or irrational belief system about themselves based on things that have happened in the past or present. These personal belief systems can help us process thoughts and feelings in healthy or unhealthy ways, which often determine how we think and cope with situations in life. Together, we can look at the belief system, methods of processing thoughts and feelings, and develop a healthier belief system to improve life.