चेतस्
Cetas Counseling Services

I have over 26 years of experience working with adults, couples,

families, children, and adolescents. I received my master's degree

from Adler University in 1995. Much of my work with individuals

has focused on people who have a strong desire to live meaningful

lives and have a sincere wish to be good partners, parents, and

community members. At the same time, they feel distant from their

deeper selves and find that their relationships and life, in general,

are not what they had hoped they would be. Anxiety, depression,

personality disorder, identity issues, or adjustment challenges seem to

be getting in the way of a more full, lived experience of life.

 

My work with families, children, and adolescents has focused on

helping them navigate highly challenging circumstances,

stressors, and life events. 

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For me, psychology has been a calling. I became interested in it when

I was twelve years old. My grandmother was taking classes at what

was then called The Adler Institute in Chicago. She became friends

with the school's founder, Rudolf Dreikurs, so psychology was

spoken of within the family. The conversations around psychology

instantly fascinated me -the idea that we had parts of ourselves that

acted counter to our own best interests, parts of ourselves that we did

not know, and a deep desire as human beings for belonging and

meaning elicited a sense of wonder in me; and a curiosity that

continues to this day. 

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As a therapist, I have been told that I have a compassionate,

understanding, and empathetic style. I like to start exactly where you

are at and by really understanding what life is like "through your eyes

and experience."  My style is very individualized and precisely

tailored to each person - I want to get to know you and develop a path

forward with you that will work based on your strengths, specific

ways of learning, engaging, and living life. My approach tends to be

solution and strengths-focused and, at the same time, gently direct. I

often help people understand the strengths and challenges of their

cognitive and emotional styles and develop deeper insights that have a

far-reaching impact. 

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I believe that there are no right or wrong ways to be in the world, but

many of us have some cognitive and emotional patterns that, at times,

can hold us back. I like to explore these with clients and often use

motivational interviewing, solution-focused, and strengths-based

approaches. 

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Each individual and the meaning and purpose they find during their

lifetime are vitally important to me. I feel touched that I have been

able to follow a calling for so long and have been able to work with so

many people to help them find deeper meaning, purpose, and

happiness in their own lives. 

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I have a meditation & mindfulness practice and have been a "student"

of the world's contemplative traditions for most of my lifetime.