Personal Growth Counseling

BECHTOLD LIFEWORKS COUNSELING & COACHING

helping you create a life that works

personal growth counseling

GOOD STORIES

As she steps back to look at her collage, it unexpectedly jumps out at her: her challenges make up only a small part of her life. Suddenly she feels more able to meet them face-to-face.

• • • • •

On the outside, a professional woman appears to have it all together. But inside, she doubts herself, and life seems small. But when she opens up to allow space to hear the stories deep within, a subtle shift takes hold. She begins to see that it is possible to love her life, and to make choices from love, not fear.

• • • • •

In a dialogue with her Seeker, he tells her that he keeps her on the run, always looking for greener pastures, because he's not sure that life will ever be enough. She tells him that it can be, if they work together.

• • • • •

A woman in transition, anxious about the future, has an epiphany. She recognizes that she's been living a story that doesn't belong to her. And living this story gives her a false sense of safety that actually contributes to her stress.

• • • • •

"You have a true gift for guiding people in this process."

--S.W.

Feeling a little lost?

Maybe you have a vague sense of unease or discomfort. Perhaps you feel frustrated and empty, living a small life, where the spark is missing. And you're searching for something but can't quite name it or pin it down. In fact, you may feel like you're on a treadmill, seeking answers when you don't know the questions.

So you wait, and sense that time is passing. Hours blend into days, days blend into weeks. And as each day goes by, you get farther from who you want to be in the world.

In fact, you may have reached a point where you don’t feel like yourself anymore:

You’re distracted and disengaged
You’ve misplaced your sense of meaning and purpose
You’re locked in self-defeating patterns and limiting beliefs
You wonder if you’re living a shadow existence
You think you’re not enough
You feel overwhelmed

But there is a way through.

How it works

When you feel a bit lost, I compassionately and creatively work with you to explore how your outer experiences (outer life) intersect with deeper patterns and stories (inner life).

A lot of my clients like the Pearson-Marr Archetype Indicator (PMAI) because it's helpful for teasing out deeper patterns and stories. It uncovers the archetypes that are most active in your life. Some people like to think of them as their inner cast of characters. You might discover that a particular character (or archetype) is exerting more influence over your life than you'd like. Once you understand its story, though, it becomes easier to work with it.

The result? New insights and shifts in perspective. You become more proactive about the behaviors, patterns, beliefs, and situations that are troublesome for you. Along the way you'll discover tools you need for daily living, and begin to give more space to your intuition and creativity.

Where do you want to go?

This personal growth process is self-reflective and you get to choose the direction you want to take. Many clients are delighted to discover a deep well of wisdom within themselves. Here are some specific ways I've seen it help my clients:

Accept yourself and know that you are enough
Lessen stress, worry, and anxiety
Be proactive in uncovering your own answers
Reclaim a sense of meaning and purpose
Enhance communication and boundary-setting skills
Feel at peace with life and connected to it
Feel joyful, energized, and healthy

All the details

It's pretty simple -- no fancy packages or programs. Work with me for as few or as many sessions as you need. If you know at the beginning that you want at least 6 to 12 sessions, I offer a discount for the series (and you can pay as you go -- you don't have to pay it all up front). Otherwise, you can work with me on a session-by-session basis.

12 sessions: $90 each/$1080 total, completed in 6 months or less
6 sessions: $100 each/$600 total, completed in 3 months or less
1 session: $125; repeat as many times as you wish

We can meet in my office in Sacramento, or we can do phone/Skype sessions. Whatever you choose, we'll meet for about an hour. Some clients like to connect with me weekly, others prefer every other week. Either way, I'll try to schedule your appointments at a regular day and time because that creates a nurturing space that's just for you.

Before we start I'll send you some questions to reflect on. We'll dig into those during our first session to get a feel for what's most important for you right now.

After that, we'll just jump in and start. Because why wait, right?

* * * * *

Although I'm in the process of completing my license in clinical counseling, I'm not currently licensed to practice psychotherapy or diagnose/treat clinical disorders.

Patty Bechtold, M.S. Holistic Career Counselor + Life Coach + Women's Circle Facilitator

Sacramento CA