Do you wonder what happened to the fun girl you used to be married to or the guy who used to give you all kinds of loving attention? You know, the one who now shuts you down when you try to talk or sleeps at the edges of the bed... yeah, that person.
There are conversations you could be having to help come closer but you're likely never going to have those at home. Not because either of you are incapable but simply because you don't know what they are and, even if you did, there's usually way too much tension and hurt present for anything to be heard or understood by either partner. The Hold Me Tight© Workshop is a weekend workshop for couples who would like to learn why their dynamic feels off, no matter how much they try to fix it. Couples who want to learn how to be closer to each other and have more productive, meaningful conversations. The curriculum is based on the work of Dr. Sue Johnson, developer of Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples. Our next workshop is in just a couple of weeks on June 9th and 10th. We would love to have you join us! For more details about the workshop, and to register, please visit www.holdmetightknoxville.com If you have any questions at all, please contact me (through the contact page HERE). My friend and colleague, Dana Vince, and I facilitate this workshop together in a casual environment that allows people to relax and focus on their relationship for two solid days. You will have our help, guidance and support through the entire weekend as you both learn new skills to help improve your marriage. Both of you will walk away from the weekend with a LOT of powerful information and insight about your relationship. You will learn why all of your efforts to fix were not working before and, more importantly, you will both learn skills that will actually help you move closer to each other and become stronger as a couple. Visit www.holdmetightknoxville.com for more information about the workshop, read testimonials of couples who have recently participated, and to find out about fees, location and more. We look forward to meeting you! Jodi www.jodiclarkecounseling.com www.holdmetightknoxville.com www.eftknoxville.com
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Is it possible to improve the quality of your relationship in one weekend? YES... with the right information and guidance! Join us for our next Hold Me Tight couples weekend on April 7th and 8th. Early bird pricing for couples registered before March 24th!
Over the course of two days, you and your partner will discover what has been sabotaging your efforts of effective communication, how to move past seemingly impossible obstacles and learn how to turn toward each other in a healthy way. It is not a secret that relationships can feel hard. We get stuck in long-standing patterns with each other, have the same conversations over and over and start to feel hopeless that anything might change. We either keep fighting the good fight until we get too tired (and then what??) or just give up thinking, "I guess this is just marriage." You can have better! The Hold Me Tight weekend is grounded in the work of Dr. Sue Johnson, the primary developer of Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples. Her groundbreaking work with couples has turned the tables on traditional relationship counseling, getting beyond the basics of conflict resolution to the heart of what is really happening with couples who feel disconnected or in distress. We will be covering these concepts and giving you new information, new tools, guidance and opportunities to practice over the course of just two days. Click HERE to learn more about the Hold Me Tight weekend workshop for couples. Our next workshop is being held April 7th and 8th in West Knoxville. We would love to have you join us! The atmosphere is relaxed and casual, yet focused and productive. We want couples to feel welcome and experience a great weekend that can change the course of their marriage! Early registration discount is $500 per couple for those who register before March 24th! Click HERE to learn more about our upcoming workshop and to register! Have a great Friday, Jodi www.jodiclarkecounseling.com Join us for the next group supervision session this coming Tuesday, February 13th. The daytime group is offered from 12-1pm and the evening group from 7-8pm. Both group supervision sessions are held in my office, so I ask that you register ahead of time due to limited space.
This month we'll be talking more about how to log your hours for licnesure as a LPC/MHSP. It can be a pain the rear, but staying consistent with tracking your hours will help you feel more peaceful and confident during the licensure process. We'll be talking about target numbers to shoot for in order to complete your licensure in a certain period of time and what this means for supervision hours, etc. We'll also use the group time to process cases and spend time answering questions about the process of earning your LPC/MHSP. I'd love to have you join us this Tuesday at either the daytime group (12-1pm) or the evening group (7-8pm)! Use the contact form HERE to let me know if you plan to attend. The fee for group is $25/person and I accept payment at each group. You do not have to pay in advance - I just need to know how many people to plan for because it's held in my office and space is limited. I have coffee, water and light snacks at each group. You are more than welcome to bring food if you'll be eating lunch or dinner during this time. The atmosphere is VERY casual but productive and purposeful! I'd love to have you join us - feel free to use the contact for HERE to let me know you're coming and which section (daytime or evening) you want to attend. Thanks! Have a great morning! Jodi Jodi Clarke, MA, LPC/MHSP, NCC Marriage & Individual Counseling Clinical Supervision www.jodiclarkecounseling.com (865) 384-2172 Do you want to become a licensed therapist in Tennessee but don't know where to start? Are you already working in the field and need help getting a solid game plan together?
I'll be hosting a small group supervision meeting at my office on Tuesday, 1/23, from 12-1pm. We will be going over the details of licensure so you can start planning and feeling confident about earning your LPC/MHSP credentials. This will be a casual, but informative, group that offers a place to ask questions and get the support you need to navigate the licensure process. The cost of group supervision is $25 and will count toward your required supervision hours for licensure. I'd love for you to join us! Since seating is limited (we'll be in my office) I do ask that people contact me in advance to let me know they plan to attend. If you are coming during a break from work - feel free to bring your lunch! I'm happy to answer any questions and hope you'll join us! Jodi (865) 384-2172 www.jodiclarkecounseling.com Marriage Counseling / Individual Counseling / Clinical Supervision Congratulations on your recent graduation! Earning your Masters degree is no easy task. You have worked hard to get where you are and I bet you have goals of working with certain populations or within certain clinical settings. Earning your credential as a Licensed Professional Counselor / Mental Health Service Provider (LPC/MHSP) is key to opening these doors of opportunity for you as a clinician.
Earning the LPC/MHSP credential means that you will be licensed for a full scope of practice: assessment, diagnosis and treatment of clients. This full scope of practice will be necessary if you have a desire to become a clinical supervisor or clinical director within an organization or work independently in a private practice setting. I know at this point you likely just want to take a break and work for a little while and then, if you feel like it, maybe start working on earning your license. If there was one piece of advice I could share with you at this moment it would be: START NOW. Here's the thing... if you are already working in a clinical setting that would qualify for hours toward your license... why not just get started in this process and allow those hours to count?! The full process of licensure for LPC/MHSP has to take a minimum of two years and no more than four years to complete. The licensure process begins when you are in active individual supervision with an approved supervisor. As new people start with me, I have them sign a supervision contract that serves to verify the "start date" and we go from there. From that day on, you can start counting hours. I typically see supervisees once per week, depending on how many face-to-face hours they are getting at work. If someone is working part-time in a clinical setting or otherwise not getting many face-to-face counseling hours with clients, I will meet with them every other week until their hours increase. My supervisees know they have access to me anytime and we develop great working relationships with each other. The main thing I want you to take away from all of this: The moment you start active individual supervision is the moment you can start your licensure process. Putting this off can make a difference for you professionally. The sooner you earn your license as a LCP/MHSP, the sooner you can have more doors opened to you as a clinician and work toward meeting your career goals. The licensure process can feel a bit overwhelming but it doesn't have to be. If you are ready to learn more about the details of the process, I encourage you to join our first group supervision session of 2018 on Tuesday, January 23rd. Even if you are in individual supervision with someone else, you can still attend group supervision and it will count toward your licensure supervision hours. Up to 50 hours of your total supervision hours can be in the form of a group. I am an approved supervisor and will be tracking attendance in groups, as well as providing you with a receipt to keep for your records. The daytime meeting will be held from 12-1pm or you can choose the evening option from 6:30-7:30pm. We will be going over all of the details that will help you feel confident in starting this process. You will also be leaving with a handout to reference as needed that highlights what you need to know to make sure you are meeting requirements successfully. Don't wait to get started. You have come too far to postpone earning your license. I have been where you are and know the energy it takes to get this process started. I also know what it feels like to look back on that time in my life and feel thankful for those who encouraged me to keep going. Without their guidance and encouragement I don't know that I would be in the position I'm in today. You can do this! I will help you sort through the confusing bits and pieces and you will feel confident as you move toward accomplishing this professional milestone. If you would like to join us on Tuesday the 23rd, at either the daytime or evening group session, please contact me to reserve your seat! If you are ready to go ahead and get started with individual supervision we can do that, too! Contact me anytime for upcoming availability and we will get you started. I look forward to helping guide you through this process! Happy New Year! Jodi (865) 384-2172 www.jodiclarkecounseling.com When your spouse says something to you like, "We need counseling," it can be hard to hear. You may get upset, deny that your marriage needs any help, suggest that your partner is the only one with a problem or even completely ignore what is happening because you just do not want to go there. The reality is, whether it's painful to hear or not, there is something very real happening in your marriage if your partner says they want to go to counseling with you.
I know there are people who hear counseling (especially marriage counseling) and think "NOPE, not happening." I completely understand. It can be really uncomfortable to think about talking with a third party about the intimate details of your relationship. You may think, "I'll just fix it myself," or "We'll be fine" and plug along doing the same things you've always done. You hope that your spouse will get over it and this will pass. Unfortunately, this approach is not effective. In fact, many times the hurt grows deeper and partners become more and more disconnected. Simply put, doing the same things you've always done isn't going to work. If it could, it would've been working already. There is a reason you and your spouse keep having the same conversations over and over (and over). Find out why this is happening and learn REAL methods that will help you and your spouse feel closer and more connected with each other. Our weekend workshop for couples is a great way to help you build a better marriage. It is a wonderful option for those who are reluctant to go counseling... this is small group workshop format that delivers key information for you and your spouse to start doing something different. Honestly, if there was one thing I would want to share with couples in distress it would be: Stop making this harder than it already feels. We can help you! Benefits of attending a Weekend Workshop: 1) Time limited: In one weekend (2 days) you will learn a wealth of information about why what you've been doing isn't working and what to do differently to improve your marriage. Who doesn't have one weekend available to invest in their marriage? Oh stop it, yes you do... :) 2) Cost effective: For two full days, you and your spouse will be learning from two advanced EFT trained therapists who specialize in marriage counseling. One marriage counseling session (50 mins) costs roughly $130-150. So, let's split that down the middle for simplicity at $140 per therapy session... $140 x 13 hours = more than a weekend workshop fee! 3) No pressure to share: These workshops are not therapy. It is a small group learning format where a small number of couples will be getting the same information at the same time. You and your spouse will be given opportunities after each section to privately practice some of the skills you're learning. Dana Vince (who is certified in EFT and an EFT supervisor) and I will be right there for you if you get stuck or need help during that private practice time. The weekend workshops are a great way to renew hope and get something positive going again in your marriage. We would love to have you join us for our upcoming workshop on February 3rd and 4th! Make your marriage better in 2018. If you've been in counseling before and have found it unhelpful, we strongly encourage you to attend. If you are thinking about starting marriage counseling, or want to go but have a spouse who doesn't, this is a wonderful option for all the reasons listed above. Click HERE to register for the next weekend workshop on Feb 3rd & 4th. Have questions? Contact me anytime. I'm happy to answer questions about counseling services or the upcoming workshop. Join us for our next weekend workshop in February and make this a better year for your marriage! Jodi (865) 384-2172 www.jodiclarkecounseling.com Are you looking for additional supervision hours but worried about spending too much money? Would you like a place to meet and connect with other clinicians seeking licensure in the Knoxville area? Group supervision sessions are held monthly, with daytime and evening sections available.
Group supervision sessions are intended for clinicians seeking licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor / Mental Health Service Provider (LPC/MHSP) and the sessions will count toward your licensure requirements. Of the required 150 hours of supervision, up to 50 hours can be in the form of group supervision. Group supervision sessions are held at my office and the fee is $25. A specific topic is assigned to each month and each session lasts an hour. For a list of upcoming group supervision dates and topics click HERE. Registration is required for each session since space is limited and materials need to be prepared. If you have any questions about group supervision feel free to contact me. The first group supervision session is scheduled for January 23rd - register now! Merry Christmas! Jodi www.jodiclarkecounseling.com Hold Me Tight® workshops are two-day intensives for couples, based on Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT). As a part of EFT Knoxville, I am excited to share with you that these powerful workshops will start being offered in Knoxville in just a couple of months! The first workshop for 2018 is scheduled for Feb 3rd and 4th.
Your marriage may be in one of the following situations:
Hold Me Tight® workshops are limited to 10 couples and offer an opportunity for you to learn a vault of helpful information in a short period of time. In the course of one weekend, you and your partner will focus on learning things like:
Want a better, stronger, closer marriage? The Hold Me Tight® workshop is a great way to get a powerful jump start. Even if you are already in marriage counseling... and especially if you and/or your partner know you're marriage doesn't feel good right now but not sure about "counseling"... you will find this workshop beneficial. Contact me for more information or learn more about how to register for an upcoming Hold Me Tight® workshop. You can also visit the EFT Knoxville website at www.eftknoxville.com. Wishing you a great marriage in 2018! Jodi (865) 384-2172 jodiclarkecounseling.com When referring to the concept of "self," we typically think of the terms self-esteem and maybe even self-concept. However, there is a third aspect of self that rarely gets any love but is important to our well-being... self-efficacy. You might be thinking, "What is self-efficacy and why should I care?" Well, I thought you'd never ask!
Self-efficacy is a concept developed by Albert Bandura that, generally speaking, refers to the sense we have of ourselves as being capable and competent to complete tasks. As stated by the American Psychological Association (APA, 2017), "Self-efficacy reflects confidence in the ability to exert control over one's own motivation, behavior and social environment." I find it interesting how, for so many years, there has been such a heavy focus on the development of self-esteem rather than self-efficacy. It's no wonder we are surrounded by people who present as "confident," yet crumble in the face of slight challenge or consider themselves failing if something doesn't work out perfectly. Side note, contrary to popular belief, this doesn't just happen to Millennials. I mean, don't get me wrong, they are really cornering the market... but they are certainly not alone! I think it is safe to say that people don't always feel super confident when challenged by life events or circumstances. Self-efficacy allows us to stay strong in the face of challenge and not start seeing ourselves as inept or a failure at the first sight of struggle. Self-efficacy allows us to take risks, approach challenges, learn new things, find wisdom in our mistakes and, well, grow as human beings. When we have a stronger sense of self-efficacy, we can more easily regroup or recenter, not allowing setbacks or disappointments to derail our emotions, behaviors and our decision making. In my work with clients, I often see people who feel overwhelmed by their circumstances and understandably so. Clients don't come in to tell me how great their lives are going... although it's always nice to get updates! Clients typically come to counseling because they feel emotionally challenged, overwhelmed and possibly even hopeless about their situation or the idea that things could be better. We never have total control over every aspect our lives, no matter how hard we try. Things happen that are well beyond our influence and we need to get okay with that... but there are some things we DO have influence over and we need to start maximizing those opportunities. When we feel hopeless or feel like a life challenge has become bigger than us, it can easily seem like there is no hope for change or that, no matter what we do, we won't be able to influence the outcome in a favorable way. If you are going through a particularly challenging experience, I encourage you to take inventory of the FULL picture... stop ruminating over the same few pieces of information. We tend to have tunnel vision sometimes and laser in on things that are outside of our control, forgetting that there is so much more to the picture and areas that we CAN influence. At the very least, we can influence a shift in our perception of an experience or challenge the meanings we are placing on an experience. We don't have to make everything personal or take responsibility for things that are not ours to hold or own. We don't need to berate ourselves if we have to work harder than others to accomplish a goal or we find that we've made a mistake and need to regroup. Self-efficacy allows us to continue moving forward with realistic expectations of self and acceptance of what we can and can't control. One of the best ways to start building self-efficacy is to take inventory of times when you have walked through a challenging life experience or personal struggle. We have all been through crap, so don't pretend like you can't come up with something. :) Consider what helped you get through those experiences... abilities and gifts that allowed you to survive and, more than likely, come out even better on the other side for having gone through the experiences. I'm asking you to throw yourself a bone here. The fact is, you've been through some things and still here to talk about it so... how did you do it? Be honest and don't be afraid to own something positive about yourself. When we are used to seeing ourselves as incapable or inept (or worse, "unlucky") it can be easy to forget there is anything positive. Again, look at the FULL picture! Self-efficacy is important to our resiliency and well-being. It is inevitable that we will walk through challenges, and continue to do so throughout our lives, but we don't have to feel helpless and incapable of influencing growth and change. Even if no one in your life has ever told you that you're capable... you are. Tell yourself, own the part of you that feels motivated for change, that can handle difficult experiences and can keep moving forward when things seem to be working against you. Enjoy your weekend! Jodi Jodi Clarke, MA, LPC/MHSP, NCC Counseling Services for Women & Couples (865) 384-2172 www.jodiclarkecounseling.com This quote stood out to me today because sometimes I have to remind myself He is here now... not off in the distance, passive and uninterested in my life. I thought you could use the reminder, too! Have a great Tuesday! ~ Jodi (865) 384-2172 www.jodiclarkecounseling.com |
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