About
KR Counseling
At KR Counseling, authenticity, transparency, and empathy are some of the core values practiced in the therapeutic process. Having gone through plenty of struggle myself, I know the courage, vulnerability, and resilience it takes to show up here. It is my belief that in order for change to occur, vulnerability and trust need to be established in the therapeutic relationship. To do that, I encourage our therapists show up authentically, even sharing their own experiences when it's therapeutically relevant, because empathy requires shared vulnerability. Recognizing and honoring the common humanity of being human is powerful. I have so much gratitude for my education and clinical work that have given me more understanding and knowledge around the human condition, and even more gratitude for my personal experiences that have given me the opportunities to apply my knowledge and grow as an individual, counselor, and supervisor.
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The counselors at KR Counseling utilize elements of several therapeutic approaches to best meet your goals and build skills to navigate life's hardships and struggles. Underlying every approach is a theme of self-empowerment. Through exploration and recognition of our history, we can find compassionate understanding towards and accountability of our present, and challenge ourselves to grow in transformative ways. This is the core of what I call Empowerment Therapy.
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KR Counseling strives to be a place of support, non-judgement, growth, and empowerment. We offer in-person counseling sessions, as well as telehealth remote sessions. Our in-house therapy dog, Fred, attends most in-person sessions and provides unconditional regard, reassurance, and a soft landing during difficult exploration.
Experience
Empowerment Therapy
I came up with the term "Empowerment Therapy" to better communicate my approach and answer the question "so, what kind of therapist are you?" In truth, I never have identified with any one approach or modality. My own academic experience was a hodgepodge windy road without the same structure or guidance of a typical counseling program. And that worked for me. So it only makes sense that my practice and my approach are a collage of ideas as well. But I also realize it's helpful to communicate with words other than "hodgepodge" or "abstract" when describing myself and my practice, so instead, I started to call it Empowerment Therapy.
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To get to this place, I identified my core values as a therapist and in my practice:
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accountability
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compassion
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growth
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knowledge
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integrity
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vulnerability
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From there, I explored how these values are supported through my work and what that looks like in sessions. My goal as a therapist is to get to know the authentic, lovable, and "wholehearted" person through compassionate curiosity and non-judgement, and to identify the messages, patterns, and coping mechanisms that pull individuals away from their value-centered selves. Empowerment comes when we trust a compassionate space to share vulnerably, understand our history and its impact (knowledge), take accountability for our own participation in these patterns, challenge and change our narratives and behaviors (growth), and commit to the ongoing practice of aligning our value-centered core with our external behaviors and internal dialogue (integrity).