Adonai Counseling & Consulting

My pricing is fair, affordable, and includes a sliding scale for folks that need the additional help. I do not accept insurance payment from insurance companies. When a client requests, I complete what is know to insurance companies as a SuperBill for the client to seek reimbursement from their insurance carrier. All of this is discussed in the first session.

Beyond the initial intake paperwork (necessary yet not anyone's favorite), my approach is to find areas for building trust and rapport. Without that it is time to help a client find the right fit for them. My Dad once asked if there was anyone I cannot help, and my reply was, you're looking at him Dad. However, my practice process includes striving to not waste a clients time nor hard earned money, if there is somebody in the area who can better help them. My approach is also collaborative. I don't have all your answers, though there are important areas where you are your own expert, of which leads to valuable content to help you get closer to where you want to be, and as efficiently and effectively as possible. With trauma, my clients have all experienced positive outcomes when they were willing to do their part of the required work.

Beyond the usual stress, distress, anxiety, depression training and experience, my passion is on helping individuals trying to cope with unresolved trauma and the pain associated with this reality. My training includes being a Certified Trauma Professional, and also continuous training and experience since 2017 with EMDR. My early EMDR training (outside of the graduate school classes at my own additional time and costs) began in late 2017, with one of the earliest professionals trained by the founder of EMDR...as a result of EMDR helping my own trauma. My advanced EMDR was supervised by Dr. Francine Shapiro...look her up. Since then I have continued my EMDR training and supervision with other leaders in the field of EMDR.

People had been suggesting this career to me for years, and I didn't see what they apparently could see. My Dad got my attention on his death bed with the same suggestion, and then I began listening to others that were professionals doing this work. Perhaps the timing needed to be good for this to happen, and I now tell folks this is the most challenging thing ever, and yet the rewards are the best, when observing real people start to hold onto a new found faith and appreciate the process to change.

preteens, teens, adults, seniors, and from every known diverse population. If favorite is a fair and accurate word for establishing one's niche, than my niche includes working with unresolved trauma, emotional pain, and addiction's underlying causes, and whether the client is an adolescent; a young man; a grown man; or a senior citizen, these are my favorites because of being able to better relate to these guys. One real surprise has been with counseling couples...and how this began was from women sharing with other women that I am good at relating to their husbands, and the women telling others that in their opinion, "Dennis never takes sides!" (Not Yet, is what my response has always been....because couples counseling is very challenging and to be effective this requires additional discipline so that neither person ever feels like there has been any judgment, marginalization, harm of any sort, etc.

I don't think of this as a project. However, most of my clients reach their goals within weeks, and if not, they have completed their goals in less than a year. This is something that I am fond of, as a result of having a sense of being proud of my clients seeing their efforts bring fruitful outcomes. These many true stories is what inspires me to always strive to get better and to keep doing what is best for the client sitting in session.

Here is a word of advice: (1) never shy from firing a therapist if you're not feeling safe or trusting of the clinician; (2) if you know or discover that you have unresolved trauma, and the therapist is only doing their usual talk therapy, ask for a referral or find your own referral to someone trained, equipped, experienced in helping people with trauma; (3) if you ever feel that in a session you've been re-traumatized...find a counselor with a good reputation of being specialized in trauma counseling.

Write down your questions ahead of time. Find a counselor who offers a free initial consultation for the purpose of discussing your questions prior to your scheduling that first appointment. Include with your questions, what does the therapist specialize in and what training and experience in that area or areas has specifically included. Listen and discern everything you can as to whether or not your trust level is at a green light, yellow light, or red light. Afterall, most of us would never schedule knee surgery with a family practice doctor, unless they also had training and experience as a knee surgeon.