I have been a substance abuse counselor for 6 years. In that time I have been able to assist patients with mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, domestic violence, and self-esteem issues among others. I have also worked with the LGBTQ community.
I try to provide a relaxed atmosphere in my sessions with patients. I am not really the type of counselor to ask a patient “how does that make you feel?” I feel like a patient will give me information as they see fit and are ready to. I don’t feel that pressuring and asking them a lot of questions is the way to go when speaking to clients. I understand fully that it can take some time to build rapport. I respect each patient and how they feel. The counseling sessions are about what each patient needs.
I have been told by previous patients that I am very easy to talk to. Patients tend to open up quickly to me and like that I do not pressure them by asking a lot of questions.
