New to Grow
I am Daniel Silverstein a licensed mental health counselor. I have been working as a counselor for 10 years and truly love my profession. I am a non judgmental or critical person and believe we are all equals and deserve respect and compassion. Personally I love animals and nature and have concerns about our planet. I love music and am an accomplished pianist and songwriter which I engage in regularly. I believe in honesty and integrity and have strong ethical beliefs.
Counseling can be a challenge especially for those who have never attended therapy. I like people to feel comfortable and at ease during our sessions. I do have a sense of humor and find humor can be a very positive way of becoming familiar. Our first session involves gathering information and learning about the reasons for attending therapy and the information is used to create a treatment plan and figure out how best to move forward in future sessions. There is no judgment or criticism involved the process is to gather information. I would never expect anyone to discuss anything they are not comfortable with. I am a very calm and relaxed person and like people to feel comfortable with me.
My calm demeanor seems to make people comfortable with me. I am proud that wherever I go people interact with me and it is always positive. I have a sense of humor and find the ability to find humor in certain situations can be extremely helpful with letting go of past unimportant issues. Viewing situations from different perspectives can help us figure out what we do want in life. Establishing goals is extremely important for helping us grow and work toward achieving our goals for ourselves not just to please others or social expectations.
I began my career as a counselor working with clients with alcohol and substance abuse issues. I conducted group sessions as well as individual counseling. I later began working with clients dealing with anxiety and depression. I find it extremely rewarding enabling people to make positive changes in their lives and no longer have feelings of anxiety or depression. I began working with couples several years ago and have discovered issues between couples is usually rooted in communication issues. Teaching mindfulness and improving communication skills are essential for resolving relationship issues. I utilize a variety of methods depending on my clients needs and situations. Although we have many commonalities we are individuals and do not fit a preconceived mold.
Humanistic
I believe we are all equal humans sharing our planet. Treating one another with respect and compassion is extremely important to me and that is how I approach relationships with all of my clients and people in my life. I have found honesty and being genuine is a positive approach in counseling because of the importance of trust and respect required to have a healthy relationship between counselor and client.
Couples Counseling
Assisting couples is extremely rewarding. Most issues with couples involves communication. When we learn mindful communication it improves our relationships not only with our partners but with everyone we interact with. I utilize several approaches with couples depending on the situation and what people are willing to work on in their relationship. Everyone is different and it is important to utilize different approaches which suit their goals, needs, and desires.
Person-centered (Rogerian)
My clients are the focus of sessions. Person-centered therapy allows me to make strong professional relationships with my clients allowing for trust, openess. and honesty.