About Therapy
Psychotherapy: The Process
Sometimes, we get stuck. As human beings, we have habitual ways of thinking, feeling, and acting. These habitual patterns help us organize our world and cope with our difficulties. It is how we typically respond to life’s major themes. While these habitual responses may have served us well in the past, we may encounter new situations and challenging relationships where these long-held patterns now no longer serve our intentions in the present. At such times, we may feel stuck, even hopeless. Fortunately, such challenges can provide opportunities for us to examine our usual way of responding. Our difficulties can function as a mirror, showing us hidden aspects of ourselves. There are times, however, when we need a little help to make sense of what we're seeing in the mirror.
Psychotherapy offers a safe, non-judgmental, respectful, and mutually cooperative environment for clients to explore challenging situations. The therapist is a guide, who helps the client bring to awareness the habitual ways they organize their world. At the beginning of this journey, the client will learn to quiet the usual mental noise surrounding their experiences. With the therapist’s help, an individual begins to notice – with intention and without judgment – thoughts, feeling, bodily sensations, and memories that arise in the course of the therapeutic conversation. This intentional, non-judgmental noticing, called mindfulness, brings to the client’s awareness response patterns that are no longer useful. Transformation occurs as the client approaches life with mindfulness and radical acceptance. When difficult experiences are processed in this safe environment, different outcomes will naturally arise. A new way of being in the world begins to emerge.
Many of our habitual patterns involve stories we tell ourselves about our life’s major themes. Often, our stories to which we so desperately cling are attempts to control and cope with our experiences. When the attachments to our stories drop away, we begin to see things more clearly and realistically. New, more effective strategies surface. With courage and playfulness, an individual can examine their most deeply held values and commit to enacting them. With the therapist’s help, the client is able to integrate committed action into daily life. Since change is inevitable, the client learns to embrace and even celebrate change. Therapy is open-ended; transformation continues long after the therapist and client stop meeting together. It is a continuing journey of personal discovery that produces joyfulness, freedom, flexibility, and an appreciation of our interconnectedness with the world.
Psychotherapy: The Goal
The goal of psychotherapy is threefold: to assist you in living joyfully in the present moment; to expand your awareness of yourself as you embrace true acceptance; and to help you live in integrity with what you truly value by taking action and staying committed. As you enhance your relationship with yourself, in turn you will enhance your relationships with others in your life. By learning to appreciate the discomfort that accompanies self-discovery, you will assume greater ownership of your life. You will learn to take yourself lightly. Knowing that you are always at choice, you will empower yourself to create greater results and more positive experiences. As you transform yourself, you will transform your world and the people in it. Finally, you will naturally learn to be in service to the world and the people in it.
Specializing in:
Individual Psychotherapy:
Anxiety-related problems such as panic attacks, traumatic stress, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, chronic worry and phobias; Depression and coping with the loss of relationships; Career and other change-of-life issues; Divorce recovery; G/L/B/T issues; And other personal concerns as presented.
Couples/Marriage/Family Therapy:
Improving communication skills between partners; Marital discord and partner conflicts; Divorce prevention and resolution; Parenting adolescent children; Blended families/step-children; Adoption issues; And other concerns as presented.
Scheduling an Appointment:
If you would like more information about counseling or you are interested in scheduling an appointment for yourself, your family, or your child, please contact James Drew by phone at 832-577-1610. If you prefer to contact the office by e-mail, click here. You may call for a free phone consultation. You deserve the opportunity to explore your situation with a trained professional counselor before deciding to access psychotherapy. James offers evening and weekend appointments.
Psychotherapy Sessions:
Counseling sessions last for approximately 45 minutes unless other arrangements are made prior to the scheduled appointment. The number of sessions varies with each client. Your desired goals and outcomes for therapy will be explored in the first few sessions. The main objective in psychotherapy is to guide you in the process of self-exploration while providing a safe and accepting environment. Termination generally occurs when the therapeutic goals have been met. Prior to your first session, please review, print out, complete, and sign all the documents located on the Forms page of this website.
Fees and Payment:
For individual, couples, marriage, and family therapy, a flat fee of $150 is collected for the initial therapy session/evaluation. $120 is charged for each subsequent 45-minute counseling session. Payment of professional fees is due at the conclusion of each session. Cash, personal checks, or credit card (MasterCard, Visa, or American Express only) payments are accepted. James does not accept assignment of benefits from any health insurance companies nor does he participate in managed care insurance plans (HMO's and PPO's). Upon your request, James can provide you with a copy of your receipt at the end of each session, which may be submitted to your insurance company for reimbursement. Please be aware that submitting a mental health invoice for reimbursement carries a certain amount of risk to your confidentiality, privacy, or future eligibility to obtain health or life insurance. If you have any questions or concerns about fees or payment, please feel free to discuss this openly with James at any time.