Counseling Focused on Changing Situations

General “Theory” to My Approach

Psychology and counseling often focus on how people feel/think or alleviating psychological symptoms. I acknowledge that feelings are a very important part of the process, and it is important to get in touch with them and discuss them; at the same time, being aware of one’s feelings and discussing them will not necessarily create change.

My training as a sociologist also leads me to focus on interaction and situations. My goal is to be able to create change in situations. Based on that training, my general approach to any problem is looking at the situation and how we co-create them.

• What did people say or do to one another?
  Changing one thing a person says or does, has the potential to completely change the outcome of a situation.
• How do we interpret what the other person said or did, and how did that interpretation affect how we acted toward the other person?
  Our interpretations of the person or the situation affect our actions. Even small changes in how we interpret and understand the situation can sometimes completely change the outcome.
• How do we interpret other people's words and actions, and how does this understanding influence our responses?
  Our actions are often guided by our understanding of what the other person is saying or doing. Even small tweaks in how we understand a situation can lead to big changes in how it unfolds.
• How do our surroundings shape our behaviors and perceptions?
  We are all part of a wider context, and our surroundings often influence our actions. Sometimes, making a change in our environment can be the quickest way to bring about change in our behaviors.
• What expectations about the situation are influenced by culture, society, social background, or previous experience?
  Our behavior is influenced by ideas often unspoken, which come not only from past experiences, but also from cultural norms and values. This conflict of norms and values often needs to be addressed and sorted out.
• What constraints have been placed on the situation based on culture, society, and social background?
  For example, financial concerns are real and not just “psychological,” and we need to address those situations, not just address the stress involved. Additionally, discrimination, prejudice, stereotypes, and bias are also real and affect people’s opportunities and outcomes. In relationships, even if a person is not experiencing these directly from the other person, they can experience them from other family members. This can be true with interracial relationships or with relationships involving members of the LGBTQ+ community.