Hello there! I'm Patrick Powell. I think of myself as a practitioner, counselor educator, and researcher. I work with children, adults, couples, and families. I think of counseling as a process where you and I build a relationship and work together to address whatever issues are impacting you. I'm a holistic counselor, meaning that I will explore multiple aspects of your life, including how you engage socially, how you think about situations, how you manage or express your emotions, your behaviors and skills, the quality of your interactions with family and friends, and several other areas of funcitoning. I'm also a strength-based counselor. I believe that we all have untapped resources, both internal and external, that we can use to make our lives better. I have worked in non-profit and two private practice environments. In terms of my credentials, I received a Master of Arts degree in Community Counseling and a Doctorate in Counselor Education and Supervision. Along with clinical practice, I have served as a faculty member in clinical mental health counseling programs since 2011. I train future generations of counselors to work with people. I hold several licenses and certifications. I am a Nationally Certified Counselor as well as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Florida and a Licensed Professional Counselor in Tennessee. I am also a Qualified Supervisor in Florida. I have published several manuscripts, a book on the assessment and treatment of trauma and I have current works in press. I also often deliver presentations on process addictions and other topics at the SACES and ACA conventions.

What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?

I practice several different therapies, each tailored to individual clients. In the first session, I hope to build a relationship with you and learn more about you. By the end of the first session, I hope that we have come to a reasonable goal. I also hope to instill optimism about change. Change is possible in all of our lives. It requires motivation and intentional action. I will devise a treatment plan to help you get where you want to go between our first and second session. Throughout therapy, I'll continually check with you regarding how we are progressing to meet your goals. If there are critical incidents that happen in your life, we will take time out to process those so that you can make the best decisions possible. Counseling, much like our lives, is a dynamic process. We may address different topics week to week. However, we're always moving forward with meeting your goals for good health and happiness. I hope that you leave each session feeling motivated to make changes in your life, and with clear goals for changing your life between sessions. Also, I hope you walk away from each session feeling heard and understood.

Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.

Some of my strengths include my broad knowledge base in terms of counseling theories and techniques, my optimism and energy regarding our ability to change our lives, and my years of experience working with clients. I've worked with clients in different milieus; outpatient, inpatient in-home services, et cetera, since 2006. I've worked with people to help them address the majority of issues that fall under mental health issues, challenges that occur with life changes, relationship issues with couples, and family functioning issues.

About Patrick Powell, Ed.D