He says it’s like being a doctor except his is “Talk Therapy” as opposed to traditional “Medicine Therapy.” That’s Matthew Whitaker, licensed Professional Counselor at Winn Community Health Center.
“Mental health illness has always been around,” he told the Journal. “But in the past, Americans thought that mental health was not such a big thing. We had bigger fish to fry. But today, counselors take a broader look at problems of anxiety, depression, grief counseling, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Counselors don’t just look at the surface level. Perhaps they’re looking at a trauma or even prior traumas that were factors.”
Whitaker who has been at the Winnfield clinic for 3 years does assessment and counseling for clients, both children and adults. That begins by viewing symptoms, making his diagnosis then beginning counseling. As he talks with individuals, his view is “a softer focus though seven different windows.”
The intake session begins in the counselor’s office (with chairs, not a couch, the Journal observed). That is when Whitaker will inquire about the symptoms, conduct information gathering, have a Q&A screening then have more in-depth questions before forming his diagnosis. When children are brought in to the clinic, their parents come with them for the intake session. Individuals may come to counseling through self-referral or through doctor referrals.
Talk Therapy sessions are about 45 minutes in length and begin with general questions like, “How are you feeling today?” The conversation moves on as the counselor observes and may reveal a trauma at the root of the problem. In the treatment process, Whitaker can recommend some coping skills and practice those skills in the office.
One such skill is deep breathing but that’s not just holding your breath, Whitaker explains. “Actually, there is a real scientific method of doing it right and it makes a difference.” For a young child, he said, coloring on a sheet of paper might help spark a conversation with the counselor to help understand issues.
While counseling may provide coping mechanisms for individuals to deal with anxiety or depression, Whitaker said those issues may never be “gone.” They may come and go, depending on life’s circumstances. So periodic or future counseling may be in order.
“The most important thing I’d like to share is don’t brush any emotions you have under the rug, thinking maybe you’ll get over it. Maybe you won’t. Reach out…family members or friends do a good job. Don’t underestimate the human mind.”
Trinity Community Health Centers in Winnfield, Bienville, East Grant, Avoyelles and Lincoln all offer Behavioral Health Services “from beginning to end.” That’s from medical provider to counselor and social worker to psychologist.
At Winn, Whitaker is “local,” born in Winnfield, a 2011 graduate of WSHS and 2015 graduate of NSU (psychology). He received his Masters at NSU in Clinical & Mental Health Counseling and is working on another in Healthcare Management from Michigan State University.