Donald Russell, Psychologist in Steinbach, R5G1Z6

Donald Russell, Ed.D

Profession(s):
Counseling Psychology, Mental Health Counseling, Coaching
License Status:
I'm a certified professional.

My Approach to Helping

If life feels stuck for you therapy can help. I listen carefully for your take on what's not working and how you would like it to be better. My approach always starts with what you want to change; listening to what you want out of life. Then we work toward accomplishing your goals, usually in a brief, solution-focused way. I believe people have within them great potential for growth, great resilience and great potential to be good people. I want to work with you to free up that potential. I look forward to how we can work together to accomplish great things in your life.

Why Going to Therapy Does Not Mean You are Weak or Flawed

All of us are a journey to grow into the person we were meant to be. Sometimes that journey gets stuck or snagged along the way: maybe a relationship that's not flourishing; maybe a memory from the past that is haunting. Therapy is a skilled process of getting those obstacles out of the way so we can continue on the growth journey. so, instead of a person being weak or flawed, I firmly believe a person who comes to therapy is showing their vision for something better; and determination to achieve it. Really, coming to therapy is a sign of 'healthy discontent'

Importance of the Client-Therapist Alliance

The clinical research is clear that the best variable to predict how successful therapy will be is how satisfied, or how positively the client feels about the client-therapist relationship is. That's because the relationship is one of the healing factors. We all remember the positive feeling of being known, appreciated and understood by a parent, special teacher, or other adult when we were younger. That person made us feel more empowered; the impossible started to seem doable; the problems started to feel like challenges; just because we knew someone else cared about us and wasn't frightened by the problem. That is exactly what good therapy provides: someone who knows you and accepts you and isn't frightened by the problem. A good therapist believes in you and provides possible solutions which you feel a little more courageous to try just because you know your therapist is standing with you.