1. What is a "therapeutic relationship"?
2. How does your philosophy of care differ from other therapists?
3. Why is spirituality important to my health and wellbeing?
4. Does including spirituality in my care mean you will try to "convert" me?
5. How do your personal beliefs about God affect my care?
6. How do I know if I need Counseling, Spiritual Direction, or Mentoring (Life Coaching)?
7. What is e-mail journaling?
8. Do you provide on-line counseling?
9. What about confidentiality?
10. What is the Enneagram?
11. What does AnamCara mean?
12. What is "zoe-ethics" and the value of personhood?

1. What is a "therapeutic relationship"?

Life is a journey. We are always moving and changing. Usually, we navigate the hills and valleys, twists and turns with minimal or moderate effort, yet we manage. But sometimes our vision is confounded, or we are blinded to the road ahead and need someone to help us find the way. Sometimes, we need a person with the skills and energy to get in the dirt and dig with us effectively and intensely when the way gets difficult, and we need serious help. A relationship is therapeutic when it comes along side you in a way that is truly helpful. It’s motto is to "First, do no harm." That means it does not enable dependencies, it does not use others for its own gain, it does not abuse or mistreat, it does not serve its own agenda. What it should do is give unconditional positive regard, promote healing, provide a safe place, comfort, nurture, guide, support, encourage, and challenge when necessary.

I encourage establishing a therapeutic relationship in which your journey can be shared over a period of time. Sometimes I’ll just walk along side you to give you support and encouragement and assist you to address issues as they unfold. But when the going gets rougher, you will also want someone who knows you to get in the trenches with you, and do what needs doing to help you find your way back to wholeness. Specific issues will change with time, but your way of approaching life needs to find balance and consistency. My approach is individualized, flexible, and relaxed, encouraging a partnership in your journey, helping you heal and then working with you to maintain health and balance.

The process, the tools, the nature of the relationship, and the focus will vary somewhat on whether you are seeking counseling, or spiritual direction or mentoring (see FAQ #7 for differences). There will probably be an initial series of visits to establish relationship, relate your story, find some hope, and establish a plan of action. Return visits may be regular or intermittent, spaced weeks apart or clumped together as need dictates. The plan for action may include some short term problem-solving as well as long-term goals, but will also focus on process and a way of "being" in life and with others. In addition to one-to-one (or couple) visits, this may include some work with the Enneagram, and e-mail journaling, or other therapeutic tools.

Back to top

2. How does your philosophy of care differ from other therapists?

Counseling is traditionally problem-focused. Usually people don’t seek counseling unless there is a "problem" or pressing issue that will not go away and is interfering with a person’s ability to carry on with normal life. A person who seeks counseling generally understands that life is not how it was meant to be, and there is some work to be done to make it better. It has often been attached to a "medical model" that offers counseling as a cure for a "sickness" that has a specific duration and requires a specific treatment. Counseling then becomes an emotional "antibiotic" that targets one symptom or set of symptoms, in order to remove the sickness, but not necessarily restore health to the body—that is up to the body to do on its own. I seek to turn that notion on its head, combining traditional counseling skills with spiritual awareness to help you discover your own way to holistic healing, and emotional and spiritual health.

My approach is one of beginning with the assumption that the issues that bring you into my office are simply a part of your life process. We have all learned ways of coping with life the best way we know how. These are not necessarily the most effective ways, however, and you may be experiencing some frustration. Pathologizing them and labeling them with psychological terms may only cloud the issue. This is not to say that there are not real medical syndromes that interfere with our mental health and wellbeing. These need to be recognized and treated, of course. This is the advantage of my training and experience as a therapist. Most people are not "sick," they simply need to learn some new ways of coping, to understand how things came to be the way they are, or to see their situation in a slightly different way.

Back to top

3. Why is spirituality important to my health and wellbeing?

We all have a spiritual self, even if we try to ignore it, or have failed to nurture it. Feeding the soul is as important as feeding the body, or developing the mind. An impoverished spirit prevents us from feeling fully healthy, physically and emotionally, and prevents us from having a sense of well-being. Scientific studies are verifying that strength of spirit helps to stave off the effects of illness. Hope motivates us, and keeps us going in the face of adversity. Hope arises out of our spiritual selves.

Most of us attach this spiritual part of ourselves to some sort of transcendent being or process. Everyone (even an Atheist) has a "theology"—an understanding of who or what God is and the way the world works. We all have a belief system about our place as human beings in the universe, how much control we have over it, what the purpose and meaning of life is, why bad things happen, what is ultimately important, and so on. In this post-modern age have come to an understanding that finding answers to the God-sized questions is not just an intellectual exercise: it has relevance to how we live our lives, where we find hope to go on. It is about relationship to God…a capacity that humanity alone, of all the creatures of the earth, possess. Yet many times, our spiritual institutions have often gotten in the way of the very thing we seek. We hunger for Presence, but we are often unaware of the illogical and contradictory beliefs we hold about life, painful memories we have tucked away, or emotional wounds that block and obscure way. The Spirit that dwells within is ready to heal us and restore us to healthy relationships and inner peace, but sometimes we need help to understand and let go of the hurts and events and circumstances of our lives that keep us from allowing Spirit to be present with us and work in us.

Spirituality is included because it is every bit as important as mental, physical, and emotional health. In fact, it is intrinsically bound up in all of them, and there is little we do in life that does not involve our spiritual selves. Spiritual health and wholeness involves healing memories and past hurts. We may be surviving adequately as we carry spiritual wounds around with us, but our energy is drawn by them and keep us from experiencing life to its fullest. Spiritual wounds, like bodily wounds, must heal from the inside. It involves learning "how the knot got tied" so we can figure out how to untie it and set our souls fee from the bondage our beliefs have created. It involves learning to observe ourselves as we experience life, and being compassionate to the self we observe. Coping is one thing. Living abundantly is another. Joy comes from spiritual health.

Spiritual health and wholeness involves nurturing the work of the Spirit within us. God is the healer, the Light for the path, Hope for the future. To feel that Presence in all circumstances of life, good and bad, is the result of nurturing the relationship with the Holy all along the way.

Back to top

4. Does including spirituality in my care mean you will try to "convert" me?

No. Your belief system is yours, and no one else’s. Beliefs reside in the heart, and are colored by an individual’s experience. Another person’s beliefs simply don’t "fit." No one can "make" you believe anything, and guilt only works if you are unsure of your own stance. Many of us hold spiritual beliefs away from our conscious thought processing, and are surprised to discover that we hold to beliefs that actually conflict with one another. Including spirituality in your care means giving you the opportunity to discover what it is that you really do believe, and then deciding if you want to keep it or reject it. It is the process of making your beliefs and your faith your own, not someone else’s. Your beliefs do not belong t a theologian, a doctrine, or a church. They belong to you. Including spirituality in your care means that you can come to understand the dynamics of your personal relationship with God, how it affects your everyday decisions, your sense of wellbeing, and your source of hope.

Back to top

5. How do your personal beliefs about God affect my care?

My beliefs shape how I approach your care, but it does not mean that I will try to persuade you to believe as I do. I believe that God calls us to respect each person for his or her own gifts, and the Spirit of God that dwells within them. As a Christian, I hold to a historical perspective of God the Creator, God the Comforter and God the Redeemer. I also believe in a God who loves us and wants the best for each one of us. If we truly believe what Scripture tells us, then we have been showered with love from the beginning. We were created for good, for abundant life, rich relationships, physical health, emotional happiness, and spiritual wholeness and peace. This is what God wants for us, not a life of fear, guilt and shame. Furthermore, God created the earth and the universe for us to live in, with the eternal renewing and recycling of all of life. Humanity is included in that process, and so the world sometimes becomes a dangerous place for us to be, not only as a result of natural process (e.g. accidents of biology, disease, nature’s fury), but also because of our own ability to be inhumane to each other (terrorism, oppression, pollution and destruction of the natural world, "civilization-induced" epidemics such as AIDS, poverty, hunger, homelessness, and hopelessness). Yet it is our trust in God’s ultimate plan for us, and God’s complete goodness that give us hope in the face of life’s difficulties. Learning to keep God as the focus of our lives, letting the Spirit work in and through us to make the world the best place it can be is our calling.

My prayer is that those I work with in these relationships come to know me as their anam cåra, their soul-friend, and be able to feel the closeness of Spirit in the relationship no matter what the circumstances. We are all guilty, however, of failing to allow God to work in us and bring about the perfect intentions for our lives that was originally intended. We have become quite good at disregarding the Divine relationship when it does not suit our own desires, and does not seem to answer our own questions. I am acutely aware of my own faults and failings, frailties and compulsions, issues and struggles (no one is without them), and my own tendency to disregard the movement of God in my life when it is not convenient. And so, I invite Spirit to continually guide my understanding of who God is and what it means to be formed and live in God’s image. I want it to reflect the true image of God, without my personal "alterations." If I can shed some light on your path, be the face of Love to you for even a short time, then I have done what God calls me to do.

My own spiritual journey has taught me that everyone has their own path, and that each person can teach me something about my own faith. My personal theology is open, inclusive, and accepting of other streams of spirituality that are consistent with basic Christian beliefs. Ancient Hebrew, Eastern and Native American wisdom, for example, enrich Western thought and deepen spiritual truths. Once the door is opened, streams of Truth can pour in from a variety of sources.

God still calls, speaking to each person in the way that he or she can hear, and each person’s response is unique. Traditional Christianity (along with most other faith traditions) has made a mistake in demanding uniformity in that response. It was a debate in the early church and we have not learned the lessons of that debate very well. Jesus’ ministry was about inclusiveness, compassion, healing and hope. Jesus did not demand worship in the synagogue: it was belief and faith that healed, not membership in a religious community. Jesus did not demand rituals: it was acceptance of God’s love and grace that signified renewal and rebirth. Yet Jesus also modeled healthy relationships, calling us to be in community, to love and nourish and care for each other…to bear one another’s burdens, and to love as he loved us. We are true Christians only when we model that ministry.

Back to top

6. How do I know if I need Counseling, Spiritual Direction, or Life Coaching?

You don’t need to know. This is something that will be determined as we become acquainted. Generally, counseling is problem-focused. That is, it addresses a particular issue or problem. The counseling relationship generally sets the therapist up as the "expert". But issues change over time. Spiritual direction is more focused on you’re the movement of Spirit in your life, and establishing a way of "being" in the world and with God that is healthy, holistic, and optimistic. It is a "here and now" approach of listening to what you bring to the table on any particular. There is no set agenda, and the relationship is more of a soul-friendship as we walk together along the journey. Life coaching or mentoring is generally more focused on the future. It involves helping you set and achieve goals. In reality, each of these approaches fade into each other. A counseling relationship may move into spiritual direction as the initial problem is resolved and the relationship becomes more oriented to process and "being".

One advantage to Camille’s combination of counseling and spiritual direction skills is that a person who needs to begin the relationship in a counseling mode can move to more of an Anam Cåra relationship when the crisis is past. Also, a person meeting a crisis in the midst of Spiritual Direction has available a skilled therapist to help them work through the issues at the level that requires.

Back to top

7. What is e-mail journaling?

E-mail journaling is a very effective tool that can be set up as an adjunct to Counseling or Spiritual Direction. For some people, e-mail has become a way of communicating that has opened up sharing and problem-solving in relationships, and allowed depth in long-distance relationships in ways never before possible. Many people find it difficult to talk about intimate and sensitive issues in face-to-face conversations, but using e-mail provides a certain element of safety, a freedom to think as one writes, and to form one’s thoughts in private. This gives e-mail communication a depth and richness that is sometimes difficult to achieve in person and provides "grist for the mill" at the next visit . It also allows "real time" reaction to, and processing of, the events in one’s life and allows a window into the process as it happens, providing insight into a person’s thought processes of the that is otherwise not available.

In some cases, a detailed and/or immediate response may be required, or may generate a request for you to make a personal appointment. E-mail journaling is to be worked out as part of the therapeutic relationship, and fees are negotiated accordingly. WitnessTree e-mail is provided by a secure server, and encrypted for privacy during transit. To preserve security and confidentiality, they are purged on a weekly basis. If they contain information that needs to be saved for future reference, they will be saved to a secure location and on-line copies destroyed. It is advised that you retain your copies off-line as well, and that highly sensitive material be communicated in person, by mail, or on the phone.

Back to top

8. Do you provide on-line counseling?

As helpful as on-line communication can be, there are elements of the good therapeutic relationship that are almost impossible to achieve on-line unless a personal relationship has already been established. A good therapist or Spiritual Director has learned to use all of the senses, including intuition, as he or she listens to the unfolding of the story in order to "read" that which goes beyond words. Body language, facial expression, tone of voice, subtle emotional reactions, and so on are all things that cannot be fully communicated or perceived effectively on-line by either the sender or the recipient. Yet these are critical cues for the therapist.

It is for these reasons that I do not provide on-line Counseling or Spiritual Direction apart from at least occasional face-to-face visits. It leaves me open to missing essential clues, critical in providing professional and skillful care. In some instances, it may be acceptable for office visits to be substituted with extended phone calls. In rare cases, a home visit may be in order.

Back to top

9. What about confidentiality?

Counseling, Spiritual Direction and Life Coaching are confidential services. As a professional, however, I am bound to the reporting laws of the State of Oregon. If I become aware of abusive, homicidal, or suicidal behavior, I am obligated by law and conscience, for the sake of saving a life, to report it to those who can best intervene in the situation. Unless absolutely necessary, however, this will not be done without previously informing you.

If for purposes of providing good therapy, I need to talk with a personal physician or third party, I will first obtain your permission and have you sign a Release of Information. It is always good clinical practice, however, to review difficult situations peers. I reserve the right to consult with a clinical partner such situations, potential ethical dilemmas, or to obtain a second clinical opinion. These consultations will take place in generic terms without revealing your personal identity.

Record-keeping is kept to a minimum, and only for the purpose of my memory and review. Except in the unlikely event of a subpoena, records are for my eyes only, and will contain only basic demographic and situational information. You may review them at any time upon request. Since I do not subscribe to any third-party payment source, records are not open to insurance companies.