Individual Counseling and Psychotherapy

The Relationship Resource Center also provides individual counseling and psychotherapy services. Individual counseling at the Relationship Resource Center will help you to navigate difficult life experiences and cope with stress and difficult emotions. Our goal is to empower you and promote your growth so that you can function at your best and solve future problems and issues as they come along. 

Individual counseling and psychotherapy is brief and focused on providing you with realistic solutions. Your counselor will work with you to identify goals for therapy. Then, you and your therapist will come up with a plan to accomplish these goals. Once this has occurred, you will begin the process of investigating the story and history behind the present problems or issues. Following this, you will be encouraged to consider what you would like your future to look like. Your therapist will then help you identify factors that may have been keeping you from making changes or factors that have been maintaining the problem or issue. The goal will be to eliminate what has been keeping you from reaching your full potential. You will also work with your counselor to identify any times when the problem was not a problem or times when you have been able to find your own solutions. Your therapist will help you capitalize on these exceptions to the problem and support you as you begin to turn these exceptions to the problem into everyday solutions. You will learn that you possess the ability to reshape the story of your life.

Individual Counseling and Psychotherapy at The Relationship Resource Center | Professional Counseling Services in the Rockford, IL Area

Individual Counseling and Psychotherapy can help with many common stressors and problems. These Include:

• Depression

• Anxiety

• Relationship Problems

• Sexual Problems or Issues

• Stress Management

• Chronic Pain Issues

• Stress Related to Medical Problems

• Grief & Loss

• Bereavement

• School/Academic Issues

• Work/Occupational Issues and Stress

• Abuse or Trauma

• Self-Esteem

• Personal Growth

• Identity Development

• Addiction

• Substance Abuse

• Sexuality
  

• Unexpected Changes

• Self-Exploration

• Unresolved Childhood Issues

• Spiritual Conflicts

• Body Image Issues
  

Model of Practice

At the Relationship Resource Center we view people's lives as a collection of stories. These stories are essentially written by both the individual and by the individual’s ideas of what others perceive about him or her (internalized others). Stories, or narratives, can be enduring and inflexible or they might be short-lived and adaptable. Some narratives may be more inflexible and problematic than others. These are called problematic dominant narratives and tend to be viewed by individuals and families as the one and only true story about that person (Parry & Doan, 1994).

Often time’s narratives become limiting and oppressive. When this occurs the search for a new story or preferred narrative begins. If found, the individual can then incorporate the preferred narrative into their lives and begin constructing a new reality that is less oppressive and limiting to them. Narrative therapists work with their clients to identify which reality or alternative story is the preferred narrative in a particular context (Freedman & Combs, 1996). In order to achieve the reconstruction of the narrative, narrative therapists take a position of not-knowing and curiosity and collaborate or co-edit the narrative.

A message from the director and owner of the Relationship Resource Center:

I personally believe that the cognitions, interactions, and language we speak to ourselves and others greatly impact our mental well-being. To me, words are very powerful. In my own personal life the words I tell myself and the words that are spoken to me have often dictated the reality that I see on a daily basis. Words are spoken in therapy and I see the way we structure words and their meaning in therapy as the language of change. It is important for me as a therapist to believe that change is possible. I take a very hopeful and optimistic stance with my clients. For that reason, I believe that Narrative therapy fits best with my own personal values about what therapy should be like for both the therapist and the client. The belief that reality is unknowable and that there are multiple realities allows me to remain hopeful even in the most distressing circumstances in therapy. Furthermore, I believe that clients are the experts of their experiences and I focus on empowering the client to achieve their full potential.