Patrick Means, L.M.H.C. - Psychotherapist

I believe therapy can be a transforming, life enhancing experience. There are several key elements in therapy that produce this kind of change:

• Collaboration

  At its best, effective therapy is a collaboration between therapist and client to resolve issues the client brings. I tend to be active in therapy. I ask questions, offer observations, and look for patterns in your life, past and present. I do, however, believe you are the final expert on yourself, and I honor your sense of what works for you.

• Getting to the roots

  Addressing surface behaviors alone produces short-term relief at the expense of long-term change. It's essential to help the client identify the root causes that created the behaviors. This involves exploring and reducing carried pain from the past.

• Compassionate, shame-free environment

  It's important that clients feel safe, respected, and non-judged. In particular, recovering addicts are not seen as bad people who need to become good, but rather wounded people who need to become well.

Do you think you might be in a codependent relationship?

Take the Relationship Self-Test to find out.