My counseling philosophy is built on four pillars

Partnership

I use a partnership approach in which we work on the problems together. I will never tell you what to do; I will help you clarify the problem and develop solutions to resolve it.

Honesty

Counseling will only be helpful if we are both completely honest. There is no way to solve a problem until we’ve defined it clearly. This takes honesty from both of us. Honesty can be very freeing, but it can also be very painful. Unfortunately counseling often has some painful stages.

Confidentiality

Our conversations are private. That means that you are safe to bring up the most difficult topics. (To see more about confidentiality, go to the FAQs)

Solution Focused

Counselors love to talk with people. But people don’t start counseling just to “talk”, people start counseling to solve problems. You get to choose which problems you want to solve, and what type of solution you are looking for.

Getting Started

Finding a good "fit"

Counseling is very personal. It needs to fit your individual needs. Take a few minutes to consider what would be different if counseling met your expectations. Ask yourself these questions:

“How will I know when I’m done with counseling?”
“What would it look like if this problem were resolved?”

The answers to these questions are your goals for counseling. My job is to help you through the process in a way that is productive and useful. It is OK to start with goals that are vague or difficult to describe. Clarifying goals is part of the counseling process.

Making the call

We can schedule a convenient time to meet, or simply talk on the phone to answer any preliminary questions you might have.

A phone call does not commit you to any further action, but just making the call opens up the possibility of finding someone who can help you reach your goals.

Contact Me

The Counseling Process

First Meeting

At our first meeting, we will quickly take care of some basic paperwork and get busy. My job in this first meeting is to understand your view of the problem, clarify what you want changed, and offer some ideas of what I think would be the best method to address your concern. For couples, I attempt to understand the strengths and weaknesses of your relationship.

Course of Change

During most meetings we will start the conversation by catching up on any changes since we last met. We will then move on to any homework that I asked you to complete and we will discuss any new thoughts the homework elicited. I prefer to use a combination of insight and behavioral therapy combined with education about the roles of boundaries, communication techniques, role of conflict, and the impact of your past experiences on the current situation. Each week we will discuss progress toward your goals and adjust accordingly.

Moving On

You will know that you are finished with counseling when you are feeling like you have met your goals. We can discuss any “next steps” and ways to keep from “backsliding” into old behavior.

About Me

I received my Bachelor’s degree in psychology and Master’s degrees in clinical social work and business administration from The Ohio State University. I am licensed as an Independent Social Worker with the Supervision Designation – the highest level of licensing in the field. In addition, I am a certified Sexual Recovery Therapist and I teach graduate-level social work at The Ohio State University. (More information about licensure and certifications can be found under the "More" tab.)

My focus is helping clients solve the problems that are important to them – specifically men's issues, family conflict, marriage therapy, sexual struggles, affair recovery, anxiety, and depression.

With over 30 years of counseling experience, I operate primarily from a systems-oriented perspective helping people think through the belief systems that are causing them difficulty.

Roy Bobbitt Counseling