Fred, the imaginary journalist with..

Fred- You are the author of Jungle Pack: Therapy Workbook and Journal.
David- Yes.
Fred- As a professional counselor, what do you see that’s missing in the mental health field?
David- A meaningful connection between the counseling services and the public. Therapy and counseling practitioners, as well as the counseling agencies do have the best intentions for helping others. However, our services we offer are communicated in a way that only practitioners understand. Most everyday conversations in life between people do not include terms like “coping skills”, which is something we are often advertising. Coping skills can mean anything. I think to use such a term and leave it at that, is to doom the practice of counseling to obscurity. And being obscure is not making a connection.
Fred- David, what do you propose as a solution?
David- Get on the same page as other people in general. And by this I mean to advertise counseling services in terms of how these relate to meeting basic needs, big results, and customer satisfaction. For example, we can help your child listen more often in school or get bullied less. The key words “more often” and “less” are geared towards providing some sort of measurable outcome. Who cares if I am here to talk with your child? Everybody has a mouth. Quite a few of us can talk. The thing that counts is whether or not a change can be made and satisfactory results can happen. I care about getting results, so this should be communicated to the customer. To give a more immediate picture, look at the long lines at fast-food restaurants and the number of cars sitting in shopping malls. People show us all the time what matters. You go to a fast-food joint to get fed. When you are done eating you are full or less hungry or not hungry anymore. What do shopping malls have to offer? There are all kinds of stuff we can use, from clothing to more food or technology. Everything there fulfills a need! The big result is you are less hungry, better clothed and your access to information is even better. Notice the key words? Better. More. Less. We can measure these results! We can experience a change that matters! And there is nothing more appealing than being able to see and feel the big difference when getting needs met. Now professional counselors can help a person build habits that will get him or her more friends and get bullied a lot less or at stop taking it personally so much, until it stops happening. Stop is another good word that conveys a big difference. And there’s the phrase “so much”. People can visualize this because it can be measured. I want to stop hurting so much or not at all. This is why you see a much bigger line at the doctor’s office. You go there to take care of an injury or illness. There is a big result and customer satisfaction in mind.
You see, therapists understand the value of their work and the fact it can lead to a more powerful self. But those who really need to enter the door are stuck. They can’t see the other side of gaining productive coping skills or how certain therapies can help to neutralize the impact of trauma. Being stuck is scary. And when you are scared, you tend to not see things clearly. Your trust is currently impaired. So how can we expect to pitch the value of coping skills?
Fred- Can all counseling practitioners help people get big results and customer satisfaction?
David- I won’t speak on the abilities of other counselors, but I will say many of them are talented in each of their own ways. With this said, I am building on and continuing the practice of training fellow therapists on how to implement behavior management systems. Over the last five years, I have developed different ways to help kids increase productive behavior and cut down on fit-throwing. A big part of it has to do with creating a workable and supportive structure or system in the family and school environment.
Fred- What does Jungle Pack: Therapy Workbook and Journal have to do with any of this?
David- Jungle Pack provides a way to flesh out key information in a person’s everyday life, such as what triggers anger in a family member or teacher or both. There are blanks to fill out for each. In life, we tend to step on each other’s toes and get caught up in the drama. Jungle Pack helps to get your thoughts in order and plan for success, so you are able to focus on the next step towards an even better life. There’s the word “better” again. The book is another guiding tool for therapists and counselors to help people going from session to session on a focused path. It is marketed to readers ages eight to young adult, though anyone can certainly relate to the content.
Fred- Well David, thank you for your time. This ends the interview.
David- You’re welcome.