Since counseling is conducted in a number of different ways, depending on the therapist and his or her orientation, this description has been prepared to inform you about my qualifications, how I view the counseling process, and what you can expect from me as your counselor.

Mission Statement: The Holston Conference Pastoral Counseling Center seeks to integrate professional counseling services and our United Methodist understanding of Christian faith and theology. This service exists for the mission of aiding and supporting the emotional, theological and relational well being of the clergy and clergy families of the Holston Annual Conference. Our spiritual lives are always a major focal point of our work and a crucial area in which we understand change to occur. You can expect your understanding of your own spirituality to be valued and welcomed as an important and vital resource for our lives and the counseling process. Indeed an important area for our growth as humans is to locate ourselves spiritually and theologically within our families, places of ministry and the broader covenant community of the whole Church. Our conversations will most likely include all of these dimensions as you find them both relevant and appropriate.

My Qualifications: I have a Ph.D. degree from Texas Woman's University in Family Therapy. I also have been involved in counseling in a variety of settings since 1980. I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and History from McMurry University and a Master of Divinity degree from Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University. I also have a Master of Education degree in Guidance and counseling from Tarleton State University. I am Licensed by the State of Texas as a licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). I am also a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in both Texas and in Tennessee. These licenses meet State qualifications for treating individual, marital, family, and other interpersonal problem conditions.

The majority of my experience is in the area of relationship and family therapy. I do see individuals; however, whenever possible and appropriate, I attempt to see people in relationship for therapy. My training and experience has qualified me to work with a wide range of presenting problems, including (but not limited to): adolescent/family problems, substance abuse, sexual problems, marital discord, depression, child behavioral problems, family communication difficulties, psychosomatic illness, and issues surrounding gender, divorce, and grief. These are not specialization areas, only areas of experience.

I am not a physician; therefore, I cannot prescribe or provide any medication, nor can I perform any medical procedures. If medical treatment is indicated, I can recommend a physician, and in certain situations, work in concert with psychiatrists and other medical professionals.

The Counseling Process: In my opinion, counseling is a process in which you, (and perhaps your intimate others) strive to achieve goals. These goals can be behavioral, spiritually oriented, affective (feelings centered), cognitive (thought and belief-centered), interactional, or a combination of these focal areas. I believe that the people who become my clients are the experts on their own lives; that is, I am not the expert on your family or your situation. Therefore, all goals are collaborative--we will form and move toward them as a team. Although I have some expertise in the area of counseling, I cannot--and will not force anyone to change.

There are several steps in the counseling process. First, we need to spend time exploring your experiences both surrounding the problem(s) and outside the realm of your complaint(s). I need to know something about you, how you view yourself, and how you and significant persons in your life interact. Although any picture I have of you is incomplete, I need to know more before we can form goals that fit with your desires, lifestyle, and values. Obviously, we need to discuss things openly and honestly. My responsibility at this point in the therapeutic process is to listen, assist you in communicating with me and others who may take part in the therapy, and to provide an environment of trust so that all present can interact freely and speak what is on their minds.

All of our sessions will, of course, be confidential to persons outside of our conversations. Counseling and therapy may involve the participation of family members and/or significant persons. If this is the case, I do not guarantee confidentiality among participants in the therapy, although I would use my professional discretion in disclosing communications related to me. My professional code of ethics prevents me from discussing what is said during sessions with anyone other than participants in the therapy or releasing any records without the written permission of everyone involved. The only exceptions to this are if someone is in danger of being harmed or if the law explicitly states that confidentiality provisions do not apply. "Confidentiality" does not mean "secrecy"--if you wish to know more about the exceptions to confidentiality please ask.

After we have explored and developed sufficient background to proceed, we will decide upon specific goals for counseling. We will then develop a treatment plan, outlining how these goals will be achieved. Such a plan will likely require effort on everyone's part to cooperate, think together, and communicate clearly so everyone knows when progress is made and when counseling will be finished. Each session, we will evaluate progress toward your goals and my role in this process. Counseling will conclude through mutual agreement among participants, including myself as counselor, and will be directly tied to sufficient progress toward and/or the achievement of the goals we set together.

My particular models of counseling and therapy emphasize both the strengths and resources of the participants and the understanding you have of yourself and others involved. I am equally interested in each person's perspective, and I focus on the present and future more than the past. You may have other relevant ideas about counseling- I respect that; however, you must realize that every person and family is unique, which requires me to adjust my approach for every individual, couple, and family. If at any time you have questions about what I am attempting to do or where we are headed, please do not hesitate to raise the question. I promise to outline my ideas in such a way that we all have a clear grasp of that point in the process.

Length of Counseling: Sessions are normally for 50 minutes, starting on the hour. Depending upon the nature of the presenting problem(s), sessions are held weekly or Bi-weekly. It is difficult to initially predict how many sessions will be needed; however, my training allows me to be particularly efficient, and I will attempt to be briefer than what you might expect.

Please ask Questions: You will find that I am driven by curiosity and ask a lot of questions. You may have questions about me, my qualifications, or anything not addressed in the previous paragraphs. It is your right to ask questions at any time. Please feel free to exercise this right.

Gary Mauldin Ph.D.