Dale James Potter LPC

Who Is Dale, & How Do I Approach Counseling? I am Neurodivergent and have struggled all my life with Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia as well as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, inattentive type. I was never a problem in school, but I always believed I was too dumb to learn. I was out of school over 15 years before having the tenacity to return do to fear of exposure, failure and anxiety. When I did return to school I discovered that I was not dumb I just learned differently and needed different tools to find success. I have struggled All my life with anxiety and related depression. I have a BA in Education and a Dual MA in Mental Health Counseling & Therapy and in School Counseling. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) but have been a florist and garbageman (among other things). I lived a lot of life before I returned to school to become a therapist. I grew up within a faith based home so I understand this area well yet I have also, in many ways deconstructed from much of that and therefore am very open minded and can assist you within your own faith based journey (as well as related traumas). I am a creative, outside the box thinker, writer and therapist. I love to write poetry (maybe because the rules in poetry are different) to express my thoughts, feelings and reflections about the world around us. I am an introvert and a storyteller. I am a fat old white man who looks like Santa and sometimes helps him out. I am married with 3 grown children and 6 grandchildren. And I Am Just Dale! I often work with and support Neurodivergent clients (ASD, ADHD Adults and Dyslexic Peoples), the LGBTQ+ community members (and/or parents of members) as a advocate, and people between the age of 16 and up. I believe in listening for understanding rather than listening for responses. I believe in a Solution Focused approach within a Cognitive, Postmodern, Narrative, Wabi-Sabi process/modalities to Counseling/Therapy. I believe that life events and traumas have a major cost and shape our emotions, responses, and anxiety that often shape painful daily live experiences. I believe that hope is possible as we gain perspectives and discover empowerment as we close old chapters in our history and rewrite our new life stories. I believe in the human super power to change. What is this approach or focus? Being a Cognitive, Postmodern, Narrative, Wabi-Sabi therapist means that we will work to help you discover perspectives and rewrite our life stories; helping to turn what has been bad or wrong into something or someplace where value is found. Cognitive is thinking and prospective process and processing toward new perspectives in our life and world. While this believes in behavior change if focuses on the cognitive practice of change that can drive our behavioral choices. I believe this leads and empowers our Behavior(al Choices). Postmodern says that our experiences are valid and are ours alone. They are based and the bases of our view of ourselves and the world, and the world around us; where we fit through our life experience, values and belief systems. Postmodernism says that our experiences are based upon our view of ourselves and the world; where we fit. Narrative are the stories, our stories of who we are, the stories we tell and the power to close chapters, start new ones as well as the process of rewriting old views and experiences that hold us back. Wabi-Sabi is finding that beauty within the mundane, the broken, the worn out. Think of seeing the beautiful and unique old house, breaking down with her paint peeling, seeing her lasting and ever changing beauty. Or the Japanese clay bowl that is cracked and tired; that we may have just thrown away. But instead the cracks are filled with gold that increases the bowl's value. We can replace those (our) old stories with new ones that we write daily. Your last chapter is done, this is a new chapter in our stories; for you to write now anew. I personally am an outside of the box, neurodivergent, creative thinker who has experienced a life filled with multiple traumas including religious trauma and spiritual journey. I welcome new thoughts and perspectives knowing your life is your story, not mine. My approach includes a cognitive/ postmodern/narrative approach and the concept of a Wabi-Sabi 侘 寂 view that believes in the value found within the broken, tired, damaged, worn-out self. We are all damaged & broken in some ways by life. We too can replace our old trauma stories with new ones that we can and will write daily. Your last chapter is done, there are stories now to write. This is a new chapter in our stories; for you to write now anew. I believe that life events and traumas have a major cost and shape our emotions, responses, and anxiety that often shape painful daily live experiences. I believe that hope is possible as we gain perspectives and discover empowerment as we close old chapters in our history and rewrite our new life stories. I believe in you and your potential. We will work together, discovering new hope, beauty and perfection within our perceived life imperfections, injustice, hurt and pain that have held us back from becoming fully alive. The work will, as a team, focus on helping you discover and connect that inner strength, motivation, tenacity and empowerment, helping you to explore and discover your own potential. Finding new paths on your journey that can reconnect you to the life you have dreamt of. Living a new you, "out-loud", found within your own broken, damaged, worn out emotional parts and pieces. We will work to help you rebuild your own new stories; building from past experiences, and life trauma including religious traumas and deconstruction, into a life that is possible. You have much more strength, power and courage than you realize you do. You are a survivor! Sometimes it just takes the internal and external courage and perspective to get up, bandage our skinned knees, take a moment to breathe deeply and go on to thriving. To rebuild from a damaged and broken past, into finding a new pathway of health, wholeness and self love. That is where I want to help you in this ongoing discovery process. I look forward to walking this journey with you, Dale.