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Clinical Philosophy
The therapist believes
that symptoms are often developed as coping tools and solutions to events and
emotions that clients lack skills in dealing with. This is especially true for
survivors of trauma including physical, emotional, and sexual abuse as well as
other types of trauma involving loss and grief. Symptoms (physical, emotional,
mental, and behavioral) are also often metaphors for problems being experienced
on another level within the individual, couple, or the family system.
Eventually these symptoms become the problem rather than the solution and
clients often seek therapy for symptom relief. At Veritas Counseling Center,
in addition to teaching new coping skills that serve to reduce symptoms,
whenever appropriate, clients are also helped to resolve the underlying issues
that resulted in symptom development.
The therapist utilizes an
integrative approach that allows for thorough clinical assessment, combined with
individualized treatment planning. Depending on the presenting issues,
treatment may either be brief, solution oriented focused sessions, or a
longer-term therapy process. The course of therapy, while recommended by the
therapist based on clinical assessment, is ultimately always chosen by the
client, due to the therapist's respect for individualized needs and resources.
Therapy, while painful at times, should be a safe and overall rewarding
experience for clients. The goals of the therapeutic process should result in
increased skills and self-sufficiency for the client rather than dependency upon
the therapist. The therapist believes that given the right tools and resources,
clients have the ability to heal themselves, and the therapist’s role is to
facilitate that process by providing the tools and helping client’s to recognize
and utilize the strengths and resources they already possess.
© 2003-2008. Shannon K. Spellman, MSW. All rights
reserved.
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