I am Al Watson, a Licensed Independent Social Worker for Clinical Practice in the state of South Carolina. I obtained my license in 1989 after completing a Master of Social Work Degree from the University of Georgia in 1979. I have both administrative and clinical experience in the mental health field since 1972. I have been in solo counseling practice part-time since 1988 and full-time since 2010, providing counseling services to children, adolescents, adults, and families. While I have worked in a variety of mental health services, for the last ten years I have focused on adults, children/adolescents, and families in private practice. I have provided services for those who are trying to resolve issues related to depression, anxiety, grief, being abused, self awareness and acceptance, sexual orientation, and parenting. I am trained primarily in analytical and cognitive-behavioral counseling and believe in providing client-centered service to my clients. I try to make contact with my clients to understand their physical, mental, and spiritual makeup and how they apply this combination in their daily life and in their plans for the future. I believe it is important to pay attention to your talents, and potential for creativity. I work to also understand your present life through past and present personal and family relationships. I will use this information to develop a treatment plan with you that best serves your needs. Really listening to you is the key to success in counseling goals. We all can experience difficult times in our lives, and come to wish there was someone in the professional counseling field to talk with to help us grow, finding ways to better cope with such times. I am happy to be available to work with you in finding ways to increase personal healthiness and I look forward to working with you.