Tim Whetzel (LMFT)

Having worked in therapeutic relationships with individuals for the past eighteen years, I concur with the research which indicates the therapeutic relationship is the most important part of the healing process. To quote form Dante’s Inferno, “Midway along the journey of our life I woke to find myself in a dark wood, for I had wandered off from the straight path.” This sentence encapsulates the feelings many clients bring to therapy, the culmination of years of existential angst, an accumulation of guilt, anxiety, loss, among a myriad of other experiences which have inflicted pain and suffering, (in this experiment we call life). My experience in working with clients exploration of their unique symptoms, be it depression, anxiety, etc., is to not rush headlong into an immediate remedy of the symptoms, rather the exploration of how these symptoms may be trying to inform the client of new ways of approaching life, i.e. am I living life on my terms, am I following my voice? Both my undergraduate and graduate degrees were in psychology. My advanced degree and continued studies have an emphasis in depth psychology. I admire, and study the theories of Analytical Psychology, (Jungian). I have a background in religious studies, in addition to psychology, and with the convergence of these two languages, have been able to incorporate meaning in my own life, beyond that of organized religious traditions. I enjoy working with clients in whatever therapeutic modality is most appropriate, meaning in some cases, brief therapy is warranted, or behavioral modification, or longer term depth work, because every client is unique, and my goal is to approach every client on this basis. Additionally, I have had the life experience of living in both rural and urban settings, being engaged with diverse populations, religions and customs, which add to my ability to relate to clients from an array of backgrounds. “The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed.” Carl Jung I look forward to a therapeutic relationship that will assist both of us in continued growth.