Melanie J Jackson

LMHC, LPC, Professional Counselor Telehealth Provider

My life philosophy includes "your reach must exceed your grasp, I am no wiser or smarter than anyone else, and there is no accuracy or value in judgment." This life philosophy overlaps every aspect of my being; how I relate to others, how I perceive the world, and how I perceive my place in the world. My treatment philosophy includes listening so I can learn from my clients, acknowledging that each client is smarter than me in some area of their existence, and judgment of differences is outlawed since it is always inaccurate and stagnates growth.

The process for establishing therapy goals begins with the intake at our first meeting and is tweaked at each successive session. It is the clients journey, needs to be designed by the client, and will remain a work in progress until termination.

The therapeutic alliance is a key component of the therapeutic relationship and the clients perception of the quality of the relationship is the strongest predictor of treatment success. The foundation of the relationship is based on trust, caring, respect, agreement on the goals of therapy, and collaboration on the work of the treatment. It is imperative that there is shared decision-making, the willingness and ability to correct any problems or difficulties that may arise in the relationship, and a shared sense of ownership for the treatment. The therapeutic relationship is a microcosm of the client's world. Everything that occurs in outside relationships eventually occurs in the therapeutic relationship. The way in which the therapist and client handle these difficulties often defines the success of the therapy.