I have worked in the treatment since i was 36 and have 35 years of experience. My early experience was in the drug and alcohol and relapse prevention field. During that time i attended the Gestalt Institute in Cleveland, Ohio where I took 4 years of intense training. This lead me to find that therapy is not a method for me to figure out the client but a means for the client to gain greater self-awareness in facing their own life aspirations and struggles. I place focus on clients’ somatic awareness, especially breath, so being more in their body so they can try on new physical and intellectual styles in facing their world. I have a lot of knowledge about what is called the 12 step process and have melded together spirituality and religion in my own life. Prior to being a counselor/ therapist i taught school, painted steel bridges and other structures, and was a machinist at a large steel company, that like the many in our area have since closed their shops.

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

Our first session will be about the client and i will assess the direction he/she would like to take. It will be to help the client assess if in fact i am a good fit for what they need and want from therapy. Most likely there will be some emphasis on their breathing and how it impacts how they meet the world they live.

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

I am good at developing rapport and letting the client know what, where, and how i am going to work with them. I am good at tending to the clients’ style of organizing and have a lot of experience sitting face to face with individuals, as well as my own life experiences.

About Richard McNutt