“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself” -Jalaluddin Rumi I admire your decision to pursue change and the courage to ask for help with the journey. Thank you for sharing some of your personal information and therefore let me take this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Glen Briggs and I am a New York State Licensed Clinical Social Worker. I graduated from Syracuse University with a Master of Social Work degree and have over 30 years of experience practicing community behavioral health in Buffalo. I have counseled individuals with a myriad of problems, including the full range of mental health conditions and often these individuals have had concurrent addictions or physical health challenges. The people I have worked with come from a broad range of ethnic, geographic and economic backgrounds. Working within the settings of mental health and addiction clinics, as well as a co-occurring continuing day treatment program; I have provided individual therapy, group counseling, psycho-educational groups, couples counseling, family therapy and crisis phone counseling. The utilization of online counseling in its various forms interests me as a new means to connect with individuals in need who may otherwise not seek therapy. As you read through these various counselor profiles, you may find yourself overwhelmed by all the different therapies and approaches being described, leaving you to wonder what might be best for you. Research shows that therapy works and the particular type of therapy provided isn’t as important as what is called the “therapeutic alliance”. The therapeutic alliance refers to the quality and strength of the collaborative relationship between the client and therapist, where there is agreement on goals, methods to be used, the role of the therapist and preferences of the client. To use an analogy, there are many ways to get to your desired destination but the means of transportation you choose, depends on the preferences you find most important (ex. fastest route, most scenic, least hectic). So as you go about choosing a therapist, my recommendation would be to not get caught up on the theoretical orientation the person utilizes but focus more on how they like to conduct their therapy sessions, areas of interest and whether their communication style seems like it might be a good fit for you and the things you value most. As one might expect of someone with over 30 years of experience, I have developed an eclectic approach to therapy with less reliance on theoretical concepts and more emphasis on solution-focused strategies that develop problem-solving and coping skills. While I draw a fair amount from Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, I elicit ongoing consumer feedback and collaboration, to inform the approaches to which the individual will be most responsive. I have been told that my non-judgmental style and use of humor, engages people, as they find me easy to relate to, respectful and sincere in my efforts to help individuals facilitate their desired change and improve their overall quality of life. If you think I would be able to help you, please click on the button marked “Work With Me!” Thank you, Glen Briggs