Charles Gross
MA / LCMHC
It is a fact of life that, to some extent, we all undergo suffering. While some instances of suffering are unavoidable, others are often self-inflicted and preventable. In either case, while in the midst of the pain and difficulty, it is easy to forget that life can also be beautiful and meaningful. Helen Keller, an exceptional human who knew a great deal about suffering, stated that “Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it”. Regardless of whatever form of suffering is prompting you at this particular time to reach out for help and support, I congratulate you for doing so.
Like my professional colleagues, I am here to welcome you to the counseling relationship, to hear and understand your story, to empathize with your pain, and to walk with you as together we seek practical solutions and healing to your emotional and relational challenges. I have worked with clients of all ages who suffer with depression, anxiety, grief and loss, debilitating anger, and with the symptoms that arise from past trauma of all kinds. While doing so, I draw upon the framework and techniques of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Existentialism, Narrative Therapy, and other approaches. I have also been referred to as a Feminist Therapist-this is a title that I readily embrace, since it is females who tend to bear more needless, undeserved, and disproportionate suffering. I believe in the uniqueness and sanctity of each human life, and in the sacredness of the counseling experience and relationship. I strive to make the counseling room a place of safety and acceptance, and one where you can express how you feel and what you think without fear of being judged, criticized, or told what to do. I also believe in maintaining a positive focus, rather than a pathological one, and that each of us possess individual strengths and talents that can help us lead more meaningful and purpose-driven lives. I also believe in the power of humor to help us relax and maintain a healthy and realistic perspective.
My desire is to walk with you as you seek inner peace and balance, and as we also look for practical solutions to life’s many problems and challenges. I am hopeful that most situations and relationships can become different and better through thoughtful strategy and sustained effort. My goal is to develop a relationship with you that is built on trust and connection, and one in which healing, growing, and self-reflection can take place. Research and individual experience show that something powerful and life-altering often happens when we interact with a caring professional who is not intertwined in our issues, and who can help us view our problems objectively. Therapists are not better or different than others-as fellow humans, to one degree or another, we all struggle with and are subject to symptoms of depression, anxiety, trauma, and relationship difficulties. As mental health professionals, we are, as Carl Jung described, “wounded healers” who have devoted our lives to helping others find meaning and joy in life, and sometimes our personal suffering can help facilitate healing in others.
In previous phases of life, I served in the United States Air Force, and I worked in several institutions of higher learning in North Carolina. I have the extreme privilege of being married to the greatest person I know, who herself is a Marriage and Family Therapist. I enjoy music of many types, including classical, 60’s and 70’s rock, folk, and gospel. We have an awesome Golden Retriever named Cadie, who is a much better therapist than I will ever be. I have lived in several overseas locations, but my favorite place on earth is the mountains of our beautiful state.
Again, I congratulate you for reaching out, and I wish you health and healing as you take your next best step.