Category Archives: Therapy

Counseling

It is not uncommon when faced with what appears to be an insurmountable change of circumstance to feel overwhelmed or helpless. This can be a sudden change in career, the unforeseen end of a relationship, death of a loved one, or some other traumatic event that has left you feeling alone, sad or unworthy of happiness.

People seek counseling who suffer from depression or a deep sense of feeling blue are unable to get a grip on the everyday activities or have the inability to find any reasonable sense of joy in life.

One may discover that they are feeding their lack of self esteem with bad food, drugs, alcohol, excessive sleep or may be struggling with addictions either on a short-term or long-term basis.

licensed-professional-counselor-peer-counselor-lay-counselor-life-coach-consultant-choices-challenges-changesAnother reason to seek counseling would be to the realization that you are not the person that you want to be or living the life that you had previously envisioned for yourself.

Counseling can help one to get a grip on their current state of affairs and map a course to recovery or increase happiness, higher personal performance or satisfaction.

Those seeking to deal with life’s challenges, choices or changes will see out a professional counselor, peer counselor, life coach or consultant to get them from here to there.

Becoming a counselor

There are two reasons to become a counselor or coach. The first is that it is a sensible business model and opportunities abound for counselors to help people deal with their life’s issues.

The other is that you already are – and have always been – a counselor or people helper. It’s who you are, these attributes are an integral part of your DNA and counseling is a key component in your life’s calling.

If you came to this planet with the purpose to help others, you achieve a high degree of satisfaction from helping others overcome life’s obstacles.

You may also have experienced particular life circumstances with a high degree of success and are driven to help others who may be facing obstacles similar to the ones that you had to navigate.

Professional counseling

Professional counselors are state-licensed mental health counselors trained in traditional psychotherapy treatment models that in most cases require an advanced training program or masters degree. In most cases licensed professional counselors serve an apprenticeship and pass a state exam prior to licensure.

The men and women who are led to seek out processional counseling as a career are highly academic and approach counseling from a clinical perspective.

Restrictions abound as licensed professional counselors are controlled by numerous state and federal laws that constrict the performance of their duties with the intent of offering a level of protection to both the practitioner and the patient.

Professional organizations have been created to offer membership to practitioners who ascribe to a certain menu or codes and/or ethics in the performance of their duties as a licensed professional counselor.

Peer counseling

Peer counseling is simply one person with or without formal training helping another person out. This can look like a number of different people-helping activities; like counseling, coaching, consulting, mentoring or acting as an accountability partner.

A peer counselor is a person of similar social status who is knowledgeable in a particular area and from whom another person can learn from the experience of the peer counselor.

Some states have certification process for peer counselors, some do not. Check local and state codes. If you are certified by the state you would be considered a “Certified Peer Counselor,” in contrast to just a peer counselor.

In a peer counseling relationship, the peer counselor has the utmost empathy with the ability to say, “I know how you feel because I’ve been there myself.” It is the unique and specialized experience that qualifies the peer with the ability to be or particular value to other people facing the same challenges.

If you participate as a peer counselor, be careful about referring to yourself as a counselor as the title of counselor is often protected and regulated by the state.

Peer counselors work with their peers, adults and youth, and the parents of children to subsidize ongoing mental health services.

The Past is the Past

One of the most debilitating conditions humans can encounter is that of emotional pain, from loss, abuse or regret. Interestingly, we suffer this pain independently of any physical condition, yet the physiological distress can be as serious as the psychological discomfort.

The-past-is-the-pastIndeed our thoughts control our emotions, and our physiological wellbeing. When the past haunts us in our present state of mind, the past is not in the past as it keeps impeding on the present becoming a component of “now,” instead of being safely stored in the past where it belongs.

When one has suffered a psychological trauma (which can be demonstrated physiologically as illness or disease) as a result of something that has happened in the past (like, post traumatic stress disorder, for instance), the standard response from someone who hasn’t walked a mile in your shoes is, “Just get over it. The past is the past.”

Ah, “the past is the past;” the mantra of the psychopath. That’s what a psychopath says when he or she has committed a significant transgression, and expects you to disregard the past because it cannot be changed (here’s where they insert assertions about how much they’ve changed, assuring you that you would never be at-risk again) all in an effort to set you up for the next unexpected blow.

Psychopaths are unique in that they have no feelings, no feeling of love, remorse, guilt… they are psychologically bullet-proof (or bankrupt)… they have no need to seek forgivenes, nor do they accept responsibility for their missteps… To those of us who suffer emotionally from being abused, wronged or traumatized, this would be considered a superpower… and in some ways, it is.

Bottling up suppressed emotional trauma related to the past weighs heavily on the normal operating condition of the human body and is not an effective approach to dealing with PTSD.

Thankfully, there are therapeutic models that help people deal with traumatic incidents that have been experienced in the past that continue to thwart our sense of well-being. Enter what I refer to as, “Time Machine Therapy.”

I know that the idea of a time machine seems like a bit too much science fiction for the average person… but time travel has been accomplished using the power of the mind for thousands of years, though some intellectuals insist that it’s only been about 150 years… It doesn’t really matter how long it’s been, what does matter is that it is an effective process that can have valuable healing power today.

With access to this potent therapeutic modality we have challenged that famous catch-all phrase, “the past is the past,” because now, we have a method not only to access the past, but to manipulate or even change the past.

It’s also important to have access to the skills that it takes to let go of the past, to disconnect the physiological connection that leads to discomfort and stress. There are many methods available to help you overcomes traumatic loss or change in your life, and to put you back in the driver’s seat of your life.

Being distracted by the concerns about one’s past makes it difficult to navigate one’s present. That is why it is imperative to deal with the issues of the past for a normal person (does not apply to psychopaths or sociopaths) in order to not have your cognitive resources bogged-down with the burden of yesterday.

It is imperative to begin to live in the present, and together, we can get you from there to here and powerfully empowered to be the best that you can be.

You might ask, “When accessing or altering the past, do we still retain the lessons learned?”

That’s a good question; and the answer depends on the client. In most cases, we can retain the memories, disconnecting the feelings connected to them. In rare cases, entire memories need to be altered or erased in order to preserve a healthy perspective of the client.

A common response to that is, “That sounds like brainwashing!”

You may associate a lot of negative associations to the idea of tampering with one’s memories, but this is done at the request – and with the full cooperation and consciousness – of the client; and in times of emotional crises time machine therapy is a healthy alternative to a condition that might otherwise be unmanageable.

In the event that wiping the slate clean is necessary, the client is always equipped with the combination to the mental safe that keeps those memories locked safely away, if it becomes important to access them once again.

Once you are in charge of your life again, you will find yourself making positive progress, changing your future and the world for the better. You may feel regret from opportunities that were lost as a result of your previous struggles with issues from you past – as though you have lost a piece of your past that may have been better spent – and may have thought that you lost your chance for this or that… Not true. Once you are back in the present you can be and do more than you may have every imagined because you are more empowered and aware than ever before.

You will no longer be limited by false inhibitions or past burdens. Everyone deals with the issues of their past in different ways, and we maintain a quantity of tools and techniques that ensure that you can have a positive outlook for you and those whom you care about.

Copyright © 2013 Olympia Life Coach, All Rights Reserved

Life Coaching Over the Phone Telecoaching

Telecoaching Life Coaching Over the Phone

Olympia Life Coach offers life coaching over the phone, internet and teleconferencing.

Telecoaching allows the client and coach to connect without being hindered by geography.

life-coaching-by-phone-telecoaching-olympia-life-coachYes, for our local clients we do have attractive and serene offices for face-to-face meetings, including a conference room for group meetings. Thanks to advancing technologies, we are able to connect with clients regardless of where they may be located on our planet.

In our effort to help empower people, fulfill their destinies and live life to its fullest, it is so exciting to take our mission to others to continue our commitment of making the world a better place one life at a time.

We have been effectively using telecoaching models since 2009 and continue to broaden our telecommunication skills as technology advances.

What does telecoaching look like? Life coaching by phone is the most common approach. When two or more clients are cooperating in their projects, connecting by teleconference, or internet mediums come into play. Groups also have the benefit of participating in this manner. Thanks to Skype, we are able to offer international clients access without any added cost for the communication medium.

As with our in-person coaching, follow-up and mid-session communication is made via email and SMS cell-phone texting.

Telecoaching clients cover a wide range of needs including deeply personal transformation, professional career-focused coaching, and business consulting or group mastermind facilitation.

Another advantage of telecoaching and life coaching by phone is the added convenience to the client – even local clients. It is not uncommon for local office clients to convert their sessions to a telecommuting relationship due to not having to drive to commute to and from the session, and to be able to conduct the coaching process from the convenience of their own home or office.

Highly sensitive clients enjoy the benefits of being able to participate in life coaching without having to be inhibited by being in a less comfortable environment, having to distress from the traffic of the commute or having to make eye contact.

A-type personalities that are always on-the-go are able to fully engage in the coaching process via telecoaching without missing a beat, regardless of their physical location.

Contact us for more information on how to start your Olympia Life Coach telecoaching today.

Copyright © 2013 Olympia Life Coach, All Rights Reserved