Professional Counseling

• Carole Adams
• Linda Baird, MA
• Sue Bickel , MA
• Katie Brown, MNM, CHT
• Stephanie Chapman, MA
• Brian Cooper, MS, MA, CPT
• Kim Graves, MS, CRC, GCDF
• Sara J. Haas, MA, Cht.
• Jodi Hardesty
• Rev. Nancy R. Harris, MSS
• Terri Kiwan, MA
• Lonna Lucas
• Dee Marcotte, MS, MA, LPC
• Rosa Mazone
• Jana McSwain, MS
• Karen Mehringer, MA
• Rev. Lori Ohlson, MA, LPC
• Bernie Prior
• Edward Robb
• Jeanne Robertson
• Deb Roffe, CPCC
• Carole S. Ruddick, MA, MdS.,LPC
• Jo Sherrill, MA
• Kenneth Zeigler, MA
• Paul Zweig
• Marlene Zweig
•  

Relationship Counseling at People House

People House offers counselors with extensive training and expertise in healing relationships and resolving family issues.

In their highest form, relationships are a profound tool for individual healing, personal growth, and spiritual insight.

Practitioners will guide you through the process of moving from conflict to intimacy.

Sessions are scheduled directly with each counselor.

Click a practitioner's name below to learn more about him or her and view his/her contact information.

• Linda Baird, MA
• Sue Bickel , MA
• Brian Cooper, MS, MA, CPT
• Sara J. Haas, MA, Cht.
• Rev. Nancy R. Harris, MSS
• Dee Marcotte, MS, MA, LPC
• Karen Mehringer, MA
• Rev. Lori Ohlson, MA, LPC
• Carole S. Ruddick, MA, MdS., LPC
• Jo Sherrill, MA
• Kenneth Zeigler, MA
•  

Modalities: Types of Counseling and Facilitation Available

In addition to traditional in-sight oriented psychotherapy, and education in communication and life skills, Facilitators and Counselors at People House may incorporate a number of other techniques into their work with you

A few of these are:

• Gestalt
• Transpersonal Psychology
• Hakomi
• Hypnotherapy
• EMDR
• Energy Psychology
• Enneagram

Gestalt

The theory of Gestalt Therapy takes as its centerpiece two ideas. The first is that the proper focus of psychology is the experiential present moment. In contrast to approaches which look at the unknown and even unknowable, our perspective is the here and now of living. The second idea is that we are inextricably caught in a web of relationship with all things. It is only possible to truly know ourselves as we exist in relation to other things. ??These twin lenses, here-and-now awareness and the interactive field, define the subject matter of Gestalt therapy. Its theory provides a system of concepts describing the structure and organization of living in terms of aware relations. Its methodology, techniques, and applications link this outlook to the practice of Gestalt therapy. The result is a psychology and method with a rich and unique view of everyday life, the depths and difficulties which life encompasses, and "the high side of normal," the ennobling and most creative heights of which we are capable. Gestalt therapists believe their approach is uniquely capable of responding to the difficulties and challenges of living, both in its ability to relieve us of some measure of our misery and by showing the way to some of the best we can achieve.

Transpersonal Psychology

Transpersonal psychology is a relatively new field of psychology that incorporates the realm of spirit in the process of helping people realize their full potential. "Transpersonal" literally means "beyond the personal", indicating that both our human experience and a greater framework beyond it are included. That greater framework may include your view of God, religious practices, mystical experiences, altered states of consciousness, or any other part of your experience that has meaning to you. This philosophy maintains that our being is both spiritual and psychological in nature . we are all spiritual beings on a journey of human experience. Our psychological make-up is what makes us human, but it does not incorporate all that we are. Our spiritual essence holds the potential for transcendence of the self as currently experienced. Consciousness is a vast, multidimensional existence wherever new aspects of being are manifested on the path to discovering our true spiritual nature. Transpersonal psychology does not view life as a series of random events that just happen for no reason. Events in our lives are rich with purpose and meaning, with the goal of learning about our true essence, and to transcend fear and separation to find love and oneness with the universe. Knowing that experiences in our lives have a purpose can help to get through tough times. From the Transpersonal Psychology perspective, psychological problems that are encountering are not seen as a problem to be fixed, but are indications that a greater potential within is unfolding. The intensity of symptoms relates to the intensity of the healing process. Our goal is not to simply stop symptoms, but to embrace them for a time to see what they want to teach us. They are pointing the way to healing and growth in our lives

Hakomi

The Hakomi Method allows the hidden beliefs and unexpressed emotions which shape our lives and relationships to emerge safely into consciousness. Once conscious, they can be directly experienced and re-evaluated, and new dimensions of awareness can be integrated. Hakomi therapy is based on principles that honor the individual: Mind/Body/Spirit Holism affirms that the mind and body jointly hold emotions and reflect beliefs. Honoring the spiritual element is often important in transformation. Unity assumes that all parts of the individual are interconnected, and we all live in an interdependent system. Organicity states that inner wisdom and innate health naturally emerge in a safe and supportive environment. Mindfulness is used to induce a relaxed state of heightened awareness that allows the client to go beyond habitual thoughts and actions to the richly non-verbal intuitions of our deeper truths. Non-Violence promotes a safe, non-forceful cooperation between therapist and client. Transformation occurs when awareness is turned toward felt, present experience. Hopes and fears unfold into consciousness, barriers to new ways of being are removed, and new experiences are integrated which allow for the reorganization of core beliefs.

Hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy is a tool for creating a very relaxed and internally focused state of consciousness which allows access to the deepest layers of the psyche. This is like accessing the programs written on the hard drive of a computer. It allows us to discover and update old programing which creates natural and effortless changes in life patterns and behaviors.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)

EMDR is a method of trauma resolution that incorporates bilateral brain stimulation in the form of eye movement, sound, or physical stimulus (hand sensors). EMDR is a simple technique for accessing trauma and the dysfunctional beliefs associated with it and "reprocessing," or clearing the charge and beliefs from the psyche. Because it tends to bypass the mind, it is very fast and effective.

Energy Psychology
Enneagram the personal and professional aspect ...

The Enneagram is the most powerful system of transformational psychology available today. This practical yet elegant view of humanity describes nine basic personality types and their relationships with one another. It goes beyond mere descriptions of personality to provide a dynamic, compassionate and comprehensive guide for living your own life and interacting with others.

One strength of the Enneagram is its uncanny wisdom which helps us comprehend emotional styles and our feelings and conduct toward others. This counters a significant weakness in the business world today: the inability to address emotions effectively in the workplace. Not understanding why others communicate the way they do leads to personalizing behavior, creating hard feelings and misunderstanding. Emotional frustrations are at the heart of many complications, including: defective attitude, poor communication, unproductive behavior, as well as lost profits due to poor customer relationships.

Ignoring these issues doesn't make them go away; the Enneagram can address them directly. The Enneagram doesn't attempt to solve problems, but rather provides knowledge and tools for people to resolve their own conflicts. It also teaches understanding about our habitual mental patterns, motivations, and the natural strengths of each personality type. This leads to personal growth in understanding, self acceptance and confidence and thus work and personal lives can become more effective and satisfying.

the spiritual aspect .

Psychology says you are the sum of your thoughts, feelings, sensations and behavior. Spirituality says you are more ... a being of transpersonal essence.

The Enneagram is is unparalleled as a tool of self-discovery and self-transformation allowing each person to recognize his or her type and the particular unique existential dilemma which is at stake for spiritual growth and personal development. The grace and depth of this knowledge springs from enlightened self-observation and the meeting of the best of psychology and spirituality. The Enneagram helps us first identify our personality and, using that information, assists us in the personal process of transcending ego and reaching essence. As with any spiritual discipline, the ultimate goal is not just to feel better (although this may happen ), but to become truly conscious, to find and express our inner truth, and thus to develop our maximum human potential.

More.

The origin of the Enneagram is said to be around 2500 BC. in Sufism, a mystical movement within Islam. However, there is no documentation until it's discovery by George Ivanovitch Gurdjueff (1870-1949) who named the nine-sided figure the "Enneagram" and used it in his esoteric teachings in South America . From that point, the material was adapted in the 1950s by Oscar Ichazo, a Bolivian spiritual teacher and founder of the Arica Institute. He proposed that each personality type is marked by a different central fixation around which our individual personalities take shape. The result is a narrow, habitual, and often defensive way of perceiving the world that deeply influences what we think and feel and how we behave. The personality is seen not as our true nature, but as a protective mechanism developed in response to childhood wounds ( i.e. environmental threats or trauma). As we mature, the personality eventually overshadows our 'real', or spiritual nature. By working with the fixation of the personality, the true nature of the individual is revealed in the higher aspects. This is the process of personal development or maturity.

To quote David Daniels M.D., a highly respected California psychiatrist who works with the Enneagram: "Embedded in each type is our basic belief about the world and how we live in it - not just the aspect of our underlying essence that has been most damaged but also the corresponding path of healing. If you are fully developed, you can incorporate all nine types or points of view, rather than skewing toward just one."

The Enneagram differs from other personality typologies and classification system in that while other systems differentiate specific personality characteristics according to behavior and temperament, the wisdom that empowers the Enneagram also prescribe change and can guide the individual to a more meaningful life. Therefore, it is concerned not only with an identification of the individual's primary issues, but also with the transformational process to be undertaken if healing and/or growth is to occur. In this way, the Enneagram pushes beyond the limits of psychology by adding the depth of spirituality. Because of the power of the profound insights available, the Enneagram should never be used uncritically, unskillfully or in order to manipulate, but rather should be treated with the greatest care, sensitivity and respect for its sacred nature.