Individual Counseling
Is individual counseling right for me?
Individual counseling is for any person with a need for emotional or spiritual counsel. You may be coming in because of family issues, or you may be coming in because of issues that are very private just to you. Anyone with a desire for freedom, peace, and rest is welcome to come in for individual counseling at Samaritans Well.
What is Our Process for Individual Counseling?
When you come in for counseling at Samaritans Well, the first thing we're going to ask you is about your history and what brings you in for counseling at this time and for these reasons. We want to get some understanding of the context of what you're giving us as a presenting issue. So we'll ask about your family of origin. We will ask about significant events in your life. We need to know about major losses you've had, major betrayals you've had moves that you've had, and rejection-the highs and lows of your life to get a context for what you're presenting today. So the very first session will be an interview-type session where we ask many questions and hear your heart about where you are, Where you have been, and where you want to go. To a great extent, the first session gives us a context for follow-up sessions.
We do the individual sessions, often, in our offices, sometimes virtually, and sometimes on the phone, depending on your needs of you as an individual. There's a variety of hours available for counseling- some of our counselors work daytime only and some work evenings only and there are always hours available on the weekend.
The Bible says in Proverbs chapter 26 that "a curse does not come without a cause." We need to understand that a curse is blocking or hindering of a blessing. If you have anything in your life that is hindering blessing, we want to help you get those hindrances removed. God told Israel that they were blessed to be a blessing. Jesus said in John 10:10 that a thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but I have come that you might have life, and have life abundantly. This is normal life for a Christian. This is what Jesus wants you to have not just a life, but abundant life. That's his plan for you.
Going Deeper
One of the most significant things will cover in individual counseling is anything that you're holding against others, against yourself, or against God. We have found that these three areas are foundational when it comes to getting help in counseling at Samaritans Well. When we think about forgiveness, we're really trying to acknowledge the hurt and the anger related to the offense. It turns out that you have to acknowledge the offense and acknowledge the hurt and the anger before you can actually forgive. Many people are in denial about their anger toward themselves, their anger towards God, or their anger towards others. As counselors, it's vital that we help you to recognize when you do have bitterness or resentment.
Another area of individual counseling that is very important is judgments. It turns out that if I judge someone simply as being right or wrong, good or bad according to TRUTH and according to Scripture, I can have freedom. But it's a very narrow road. If I add to my judgment of others bitterness or even the judgment of myself I add bitterness too, we call it a bitter root of judgment.
So bitterness is one way the judgment is made into something destructive. But Jesus talked about two men that went up to the temple to pray, one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee judged the tax collector when he said " thank you God that I'm not like that tax collector... The essence of a prideful judgment is saying "I'm not like you", and yes, we can even do that towards ourselves. So this area of unrighteous judgment is another very important area that we look at because the Bible says if we judge others in the wrong way we will do the same behavior ourselves. That's in Romans chapter 2.
Grieving is another vital area of counseling. When we consider grieving, the classic stages of grief or denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and finally, acceptance. When you come in for individual counseling, part of our assessment will be unfinished grieving. I tell people that it's fine to bury things, we just don't bury them alive. If you have unfinished grieving it's very important that we get that uncovered, we get it embraced and we help you cry the tears that you need to cry. The Bible says that those who sow tears will reap joy. If you haven't finished breathing, it's vital that we bring that up and we bring it out.
It's common for people to feel a little anxious in their first counseling session for individual counseling. We will do our best to help you feel comfortable in that first session. We want you to know that we do care about you and we want you to get the help you need. If there's anything important that you need in future sessions, you can tell us anytime and will do our best to accommodate that. The setting for individual counseling should be comfortable for you. We have learned the old saying is true, "people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." Our plan is to make that a reality for you.
When you're ready for counseling, you can simply call us at 469-296-8569 or go to the web at samaritanswell.com. It's easy to set up a counseling session. You can call, you can text, or you can email us through our website. Either way, will get back to you and set up your counseling visit as soon as possible.