Sooner or later, everyone arrives at a point where life seems to have become too big to cope with. Life is never really too much for us, but it can seem to be. When this happens, we have to get life back in focus. We have lost our perspective, but it can be regained. You may have come to think of the world as unspeakably vast-the earth twenty-five thousand miles around, and outer space, full of unknown worlds. But, practically, the world is limited to your house, your shop, and your town. Even if you fly to India or Paris or Hong-Kong, your world is no bigger than the interior of the airplane, and no farther away than the nearest airport. You may have come to regard the world as teeming with billions and billions of people. In reality, your world consists of a very small number of people—those you live with, those you work with, and those you’re acquainted with. And the awful, menacing future, that unending nightmare of shadowy days and years! Can’t even bear to think about it. Well, quit thinking about it all. You live only a split second at a time; that’s right – this minute. You can think of only one thing at a time, do only one thing at a time; you actually live only one breath at a time. So stop living in a tomorrow that may never come, and start living one day at a time – today. Plan for tomorrow, but live only till bedtime tonight. In short, that big bogey-man, Life, can be cut down to his real size. Life is only this place, this time, and these people, right here and now; this you can handle—at least today. “But my life is just one problem after another!” Of course it is—that’s life. I don’t know how it is with you, but it took me a long time to realize that at least some of these problems were of my own making. For instance, I thought that it was my duty to try to solve other people’s problems, arbitrate their disputes, and show them how to live their lives. I was hurt when they rejected my unsolicited advice. I finally learned that you cannot help people unless they really need help, are willing to be helped, want you to help them, and ask you to help them. Even then, you can only help them to help themselves. Hello! My name is Jay Brunelle. As a Licensed Professional Counselor in the State of Connecticut, my areas of specialization are Clinical Mental Health, Addiction, and Christian / Pastoral Counseling. In my 10+ years of professional experience, I’ve dedicated my life to assisting clients in (1) managing and overcoming dysfunctional, faulty, overly negative, self-defeating cognitions; (2) attaing emotional equanimity and regulation, and (3) facilitating behavior modification. Using a combination of such evidence-based treatment modalities as Client-Centered Therapy; Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT); Gestalt Therapy; Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT); Behavioral Therapies based on Operant and Classical Conditioning; the 12-Step Approach, and Scripture-based spiritual practices, I’ve helped many of my clients to either fully overcome, or to take back significant control in overcoming clinical depression; bipolar; anxiety (including panic attacks with or without agoraphobia, social anxiety, generalized anxiety, and phobias); PTSD; obsessive and compulsive disorders; low self-esteem, addictions to substances and maladaptive behaviors; procrastination; lack of confidence and identity issues. Therapy belongs to the client; and, for that reason, the therapist/counselor has a personal and professional obligation to provide, facilitate, and foster an absolutely safe, open, and entirely judgement-free zone, wherein all clients should feel and experience the safety of confiding in a trusted, professional confidante, who prizes the client for whom s/he is; not for what s/he has or has not done. We are human beings, not human doings! It takes great courage to take this first step in seeking out a better, happier, and more fulfilling way of life; consequently, I applaud you! It has been said, “When folks get sick and tired of being sick and tired, they become ready to make changes and to try on new ideas, behaviors and emotions.” Should you choose to begin therapy with me, please know what an honor it will be for me, to accompany and support you on your journey of self-exploration and personal growth.