LPC, 25 years of experience
New to Grow
Life happens. And there’s no shame in asking for help. I'm John Wise and I have worked as a professional counselor for more than 25 years. I have worked in numerous settings including psychiatry offices, family court, schools, homes and jails. I have assisted individuals and families to improve relationships, parenting skills, and to manage anxiety, depression, grief, traumatizing events and other mental health issues. My goal as your counselor is to develop a working alliance with you to that you can use for your own personal growth, as well as provide you with tools and strategies to better cope with and maybe even resolve problems when the hard times come. Together we'll begin working to identify what may be holding you back or keeping you down. You will gain a better understanding of why you feel the way you do and you'll be empowered with the knowledge that realistic and lasting personal change is possible.
The first session is the first step in you and I getting to know each other and evaluating if we are a good fit to work together. It is a time for you to educate me about you--how you are feeling, what you have been going through, and how this is affecting your day to day living so we can develop an initial plan to help you feel better. I will answer any questions or concerns you have about the therapeutic process and give you a brief overview of how I practice therapy.
Clients and colleagues have commented that my calm manner and listening skills are very helpful in creating a trusting, therapeutic alliance and these qualities fit perfectly with my person-centered approach to therapy. I am very approachable and I try to keep things as simple as possible--no shame, no psychobabble, no condemnation, just come as you are.
What most of my clients have in common are the reasons they seek therapy: they are tired, dissatisfied, sad, anxious. They wonder "why?". They ask me if they are ok. They comment "You're going to think I'm crazy." The client who has these thoughts and experiences and has the courage to show up in my office is the client I want to work with. Schedule an appointment and let's get to work!
The Person-centered therapy approach is foundational in my work with clients. Genuineness, positive regard and empathy are necessary, and sometimes sufficient, prerequisites to create a therapeutic alliance conducive to client exploration and change. Education about your particular situation and the development and implementation of coping skills, for example CBT and DBT skills, are also necessary parts of effective therapy.