Here to Listen, Here to Help
The philosophy of Payton Counseling Services is rather simple and straight forward, but with deep meaning. The philosophy statement is this: Here to listen, here to help. With people experiencing the ongoing symptoms of trauma for a variety of past events and incidents from terrorism, domestic violence, past child hood abuse, and even having been bullied, there is a need for healing and closure. People also experience problems which interfere with their daily lives from a variety of mental health issues as well as substance abuse. Payton Counseling Services was developed to help people find peace, healing, and closure from the things which disrupt their lives, and relationships through counseling. Counseling at its core can be very powerful when applied correctly through listening, validating, encouraging, providing other perspectives, and teaching of skills and how to use them in the most effective manner.
As a high school student, I was experiencing a great deal of stress at home, and had a high level of anxiety, and I needed relief, someone to help me with answers to my questions. I reached out to a school counselor, and through one very brief interaction, she listened to me, heard my question and the worried behind it, and gave me what I needed, an answer.. The meeting took only a few minutes, but relieved my anxiety instantly. That same school counselor was at my side during one of the most scariest days of my life just a few months later. She and my welding stop teacher gave me a great deal of support through a very hard time. I never really opened up and shared very much with them, but knowing they were in my corner, and listened when I did talk, gave me hope.
It is my hope for the clients served at Payton Counseling Services, is to listen, provide hope, and encouragement, and help them to find healing, support, and closure to the areas of life they need the most relief in.
I am a Christian who is a counselor. My life is rooted in my faith in God. I want to be clear, that I am a counselor to help hurt people find healing, not a counselor who only works with Christians or people who go to church. I am here to help them too, but I don’t want people to avoid coming to see me for counseling because of past bad experiences in churches, religion, etc. My job as a counselor is not to judge, or push my beliefs upon others. I will gladly share my faith when others invite it and are open to it .
No long term pro-social effective changes comes from feeling belittled, judged, put down, or made to feel less than. Anyone who has read the new testament of the Bible knows, that Jesus came and preached love, forgiveness, and healing. He never forced anyone to do anything. The people he encountered had their lives dramatically transformed because of their interactions and relationship with Him.
I hope and strive to represent Jesus in the same way towards others. I know I am not perfect and am far from perfect. I cannot expect others to be perfect (the absence of making mistakes). As a matter of fact, people learn and grow more from the mistakes and failures made, than through success. When a mistake or failure occurs, learning is the true opportunity..
Take Thomas Edison for example, he is credited as one of a few people to have invented the incandescent light bulb. It took Mr. Edison and his team to test more than 3,000 light bulbs and a few years to find the best way to make a light bulb before he filed a patent for an electric lamp with carbon filament. Just like Edison, if we keep trying, testing, and learning from mistakes, we will persevere . I wonder how many times Mr. Edison got frustrated and thought about quitting. I wonder how many times those close to him listened to him vent frustration, and encouraged him to keep trying and working. Only those closest to him will know that answer.
If you or someone you know would like to learn more about counseling services at Payton Counseling Services, please call 208-271-9536 or email me through a contact form on the website: www.paytoncounselingservices.com
