Mark Sullivan, MSW, LISW-S| Westerville, Ohio Mental Health Counselor

All good counseling accomplishes certain basic things: an improved, healthy understanding of ourselves, improved relationships with the significant people in our life and, for those who are spiritual, an improved relationship with God. Whatever label or diagnosis we put on our problems, these basic human factors are involved. In my 40+ years working in community and private mental health, I have helped clients deal with the pain of low self-esteem, self-hate, spouse/partner issues, parenting problems, family conflict and spiritual issues. 

As individuals we can get stuck in patterns of negative thought that are often addictive. Thoughts of self-criticism, even hate, can become habitual and difficult to break out of. Counseling for this is designed to develop strategies and belief changes that lead to a healthier way of thinking about yourself. This, in turn, can then lead to healthier relationships with the important people in your life.

Family life can be complicated and none of us grew up in perfect families, but this is where we learn many of our relational patterns. These patterns can cause difficulties in our current relationships with others in ways we may not even be aware. Counseling brings an increased awareness of these patterns. This can enable us to change, develop more satisfying relationships, and even repair broken ones.

It seems pretty clear that we were created for relationships. For people of faith, a relationship with God provides a source of meaning and helps answer some of the difficult questions of life. Unfortunately, our image of God can be distorted in a way that brings unresolved guilt and/or feelings of condemnation. This can come from our own overly critical mindset, the influence of a harsh parental figure, spiritual abuse in an unhealthy religious organization or a misunderstanding of how we are viewed by God and how our true guilt can be cleared by His sufficient grace. 

Individual, relational, or spiritual problems almost always involve some sort of trauma that leaves us in a state of pain and diminishes our satisfaction in life. Anxiety, depression, anger, mood swings, even disconnection from reality can be the result. As a mental health counselor in Westerville, I work with clients to help them make sense out of their pain, change the patterns that sustain it, while also coming to understand the strengths and assets they have to build a healthier, more satisfying life.