I'm Troy. I'm thankful to have been born and raised right here in beautiful Traverse City. In my early twenties, I worked as a technologist on a cardiac wing of a Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Later, I became a high school science teacher and taught for nearly two decades. In my time teaching, I worked daily with children who had social, emotional, family and mental health needs. I found myself taking the role of counselor, and eventually returned to school for a Master's degree in Counseling. I find great purpose in my work as a counselor, and have been practicing at Inner Room, LLC since 2016.
Scope of Practice
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Adult Mental Health
Inner Room Counseling has helped hundreds of people make progress when struggling through tough personal challenges and adjustments to life stressors. In some cases a specific root to the problem is found and addressed, and the positive changes can be dramatic. Other times, the progress is made through small steps in changing our perceptions of and reactions to the presenting problems, and this work takes time and patience. About half of my time in practice is spent with adult men and women from their twenties to their fifties. Much of this work involves overcoming and learning from the past, engaging positively with the present, and looking forward to a positive future. Also, answers to some of life's larger existential questions will often be pursued here, when appropriate for the client.
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Children and Teens
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I have many years of experience working with children suffering with: Adjustment issues, Oppositional Defiance, Conduct Disorder, Anxiety, Separation Anxiety, Depression, and other behavioral manifestations of trauma, neglect, or family conflict. As a former high school teacher, I find relating to teenagers is second nature. While not opposed to medications, I try to address problems without relying on medications when possible, and will suggest medications in some cases, when the overall quality of the child's life is likely to improve. Teenagers benefit a lot from being truly heard in a safe place, learning what parts of their struggle are normal, and being guided in how to adjust to a life that brings with it many challenges and conflicts. Children often benefit from guidance in gaining insight into their world and understanding of how they perceive and react to their environment.
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Different counseling techniques are chosen to match the child's developmental level. Those at the middle school ages often talk more openly when engaged in a casual activity during sessions. High School aged children usually do well with traditional talk therapy. Usually I can employ a very empathetic Person Centered approach to my counseling which often includes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution Focused Methods, and/or mindfulness work.
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Marital, Couples, and Christian-Based Counseling
For those seeking Christian Marital Counseling, I use Matthew 19 and Ephesians 5 as a model for selfless Christ-like love, honor, and respect that we should be pursuing in relation to our spouse. There is usually a lot of individual work to be done in a relationship, as well as working on the space between people. Understanding the influence of childhood relationship patterns on the marriage is often pursued. Work with personality types, as well as love languages is also a part of couples counseling. Healthy habits and making time for each other is a must, as well as balanced compromise. Ultimately, learning or relearning emotional security between partners is often a key to success in this type of relationship work.
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Contact
Call, Text, or Email .
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1 231 313 9781
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Inner Room Counseling
928 S. Garfield Ave, Suite 3
Traverse City, MI 49686
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Fax: 1 231 486 6144
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-Types of Counseling-
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Teen and Young Adult Counseling
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-Depression, Anxiety, and Stress
-Addiction Issues
-Anger and Conduct Issues
-Adjustment Disorders
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-Obsessive and Compulsive Behaviors
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-Overcoming Trauma and Loss
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-Spiritual/Faith Issues
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Adult Counseling
-Family and Relationship Issues
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-Marital Counseling
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- Depression and Anxiety
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-Anger Management
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-Addiction Issues
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-Faith/Identity Crisis
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-Life Crisis and Adjustments
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-Counseling Modalities-
for teens and adults
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Cognitive Behavior Therapy: The most supported treatment for working with adults
dealing with life adjustments, anxiety, and/or depression is Cognitive Behavior Therapy.
This looks very much like what people generally think of when they think of counseling.
The client's role is to share their thoughts and feelings with the counselor, and the counselor
works at helping the client to make subtle and not so subtle adjustments to their thoughts
and perceptions, which ultimately influence their emotions and behaviors.
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Mindfulness: Many clients can learn to manage anxiety, impulsiveness, and attention
issues by learning to practice mindfulness techniques. These include deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, meditation, and meditative prayer. Mindfulness practices
help individuals gain a greater sense of control over themselves.
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Dialectical Behavior Therapy: Dialectical Behavior Therapy, to put it very briefly and imperfectly, is a blend of Mindfulness and Cognitive Approaches. Some clients connect with
both approaches and benefit from a combination of the two, especially for those with more pronounced emotional issues.
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Choice Theory: Many times, especially when working with younger clients, a
straightforward method of guiding the client to see accurately and deal in the realities of their situations in life is the most pragmatic counseling modality that will yield effective results.
The client is guided in learn to respond wisely with good control of well thought out choices
for personal behavior. The client is guided in learning to control what they can control and to
manage their end of social relationships in constructive ways.
PAYMENT OPTIONS
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I am currently accepting and billing for the following insurance plans in Michigan:
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Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
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Priority Health
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Private pay options are specified below:
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$150/hr
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Scholarship and Sliding Scale
Options are Provided based on ability to pay.
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There is an attempt to offer pricing that works in your budget.
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