Victor L. Crouch, MSW, LCSW
   
 
Victor L. Crouch’s Practice Philosophy
It is my goal to provide high quality listening and thoughtful responses to each of my clients.  I want people who work with me to feel deeply understood so that they may come to know themselves in new ways.  I believe that each patient is a complex individual with his/her own unique biopsychosocial components.  I genuinely care about how you feel, how you want to be treated, how you live, and how life has affected you.

I believe that most people already have within themselves most of the resources they need for living happy and effective lives.  However, sometimes circumstances — external as well as internal — can make it hard to access these resources.  I provide an environment where clients can explore what they need to explore and know that there is someone there who will join them in their experience with understanding and patience.
   
  Limits of Practice: To provide the highest possible quality, I keep my caseload fairly small.  For professional connection I obtain regular consultation and support from my network of experienced and respected colleagues.  While I am knowledgeable about psychological trauma, I do not define myself primarily as a trauma therapist.  I am happy to help people searching for the services they need by talking with them about referral possibilities.
   
  My Philosophical Approach to Therapy
My experience is based upon the person-centered approach to counseling and psychotherapy.  My belief about the therapeutic process places me at the pragmatic end of the person-centered spectrum.  Within the scope of my competence, I adapt to individual clients and to their ways of working which are most effective for them.  I draw upon my own experience to effectively and appropriately interact with clients.
   
  I sometimes work more cognitively with clients who choose to do so, drawing on my understanding of the cognitive or cognitive behavioral approach and my experience with cognitive theory.  This means I may help clients explore relationships between their thoughts and feelings, and the ways in which their thoughts may be self-defeating or self-enhancing.  With some hard work, clients can make significant changes in the way they approach problem areas through this method.  Significantly, when I work with clients in this way, I am drawing on my own experience and education and not simply ‘diagnosing’ a client and then imposing my view of what will work for them.
   
  I also may work with clients who are particularly interested in clarifying or creating personal meaning in their lives.  We might discuss questions about what is important to clients, what values they hold, and how different areas of their lives balance (or don’t balance) one another.  Some clients working this way may report a breakthrough in clarifying his/her own path in life — not because I have told them what that path should be, but because I have helped create an environment in which they can find it for themselves.
   
  I also want to further describe three core conditions, which characterize my work: Empathy, Unconditional Positive Regard, and Congruence.
   
  Empathy
Being empathic means attempting to grasp your experience from your point of view.  I don’t just try to understand your experience as if I was having that experience — I try to understand it as if I were you having that experience.
   
  Unconditional Positive Regard
This phrase means recognizing and appreciating your inherent value as a human being, without conditions and whether or not I like or dislike your ideas or behaviors or feelings.
   
  Congruence
Being congruent means sharing appropriate reactions and responses with the client, rather than hiding those reactions behind a professional facade.  I endeavor to be open and honest with my clients, so there is no doubt in my client’s mind about what I’m ‘really like.’  Being congruent also means that if a client has a question about the counseling process, they can ask me and expect an honest reply.
   
  Finally, my practice philosophy is informed by my own life and clinical experiences, my grasp of counseling theory and empirical evidence about what is effective in counseling and psychotherapy.  Together we will work to enhance your autonomy, personal growth and self-care.
   
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