Counseling and Enrichment Services

COUNSELING PRACTICE

Dr. John C. Thomas' counseling approach focuses on the whole person: body, mind, and spirit. The goal of counseling is to bring renewal and to enhance quality of life. Because each client is a unique individual with unique struggles, there is no one course of counseling which will apply to everyone. In general, however, the beginning stage of counseling involves clearly identifying the issues by which you are troubled. The second stage involves gaining insights into patterns of emotions, thoughts, and behaviors related to your problems. These insights will help you to begin making needed changes. In the last stage, you will be encouraged to actively apply and solidify new insights and skills to facilitate change in yourself and your life situations.

Counseling is a cooperative venture with responsibility resting on both the counselor and the client. The first session, or intake, will be structured to help understand the problems you are facing. Clients may also be asked to take one or more assessment inventories to more quickly and thoroughly understand the problems.

The duration of counseling depends on many factors which are unique to the particular client situation. Dr. Thomas' objective is to provide the client with the most effective form of therapy in the most cost-efficient manner. Experience shows that those who are most motivated to work on their problems, follow their counselor's advice, and complete homework assignments see the greatest improvement most quickly.

MARRIAGE ENRICHMENT RETREATS

In today's busy and complex life, couples need the opportunity to get away to focus on improving the quality of our ever changing life together. Marriage Enrichment is designed for couples with good marriages to dedicate a weekend to strengthening their relationships.

Marriage Enrichment is not therapy or counseling for troubled couples. It is a structured weekend with learning activities, private time, fun and relaxation. The goals are to lead couples to: strengthen their relationships, develop communications skills, deal with issues occurring in their lives, increase the spiritual depth of their marriage, become better marriage partners, and celebrate their marriages.

Dr. John Thomas, along with his wife Denise offer these Retreats to help couples renew their relationship. For more information, contact Dr. Thomas at 540-447-4782.