Master your emotions
Be your best self
Hi! My name is Candice Dow (She/Her) and I am the owner and founder of Dow Counseling Services. I’d like to commend you for taking the first step of starting therapy. I know you’ve already put in a lot of work to get to this decision and it likely feels like a challenging process. It can be confusing to know where to start and which questions to ask. Where do you even begin once you find a counselor you might want to work with?!
I am so honored that you have made it to my website and I hope I can lend a hand in making this experience just a little less scary, much less mysterious and more supported and encouraging.
If you are wondering if we might be a good fit, here are some things to know about how I approach my work with clients. I see my role as your ally; a person with whom you can connect on a deep and meaningful level. I meet you without judgement and without labeling. I do not believe that every person who seeks therapy requires a diagnosis, needs medication or “fixing”. In fact, I see therapy as a unique relationship between counselor and client which creates opportunity to connect and explore your truest emotions. By sharing your unique experiences from your individual viewpoint, it’s my hope that you can gain clarity and acquire tools to process and function at your ideal capacity.
I create a safe and trusting space so you feel heard, supported and understood in a way that encourages you to process your experiences at a pace that works for you. This will allow you to create the change you desire so you can move your life forward and stop feeling stuck. This is your journey and you deserve to feel empowered and confident in the now, AND as you embark on your future.
I do not yet know what your internal messages are about mental health, therapy, or counseling. What I do know is that I am a lifelong advocate for mental health and I believe that mental health IS health. I want to put an end to the stigma! Everyone deserves to focus on their mental health. Just as one would go to the doctor and receive treatment for a physical ailment, mental health matters are just as important to treat. Oftentimes mental health issues can be invisible to the naked eye, and we’ve all heard messages signaling a “pull yourself up from the bootstraps” mentality, but when we neglect our mental health, it can and usually will, show up in physical ways. You may experience headaches, body aches, anxiety, panic, sweating, chest tightening, fatigue, insomnia, irritability…the list goes on. Many times this can be helped. I approach this work holistically, meaning my focus is on overall health and well-being and understanding all relevant aspects of your life such as lifestyle, nutrition, sleep habits, substance use, relational patterns, cultural experiences and so on.
We all have the shared of experience of being human. Every one of us has felt hardship, heartache, and heartbreak as well as laughter, love, and connection. Please know that I see my role in this relationship as an opportunity to support you by creating space for YOUR human experience to be heard, held and honored. Healing and living our best life comes as a result of facing our pain as well as our beautiful experiences and finding the balance to connect with our innermost authentic self.
“A person is a fluid process, not a fixed and static entity; a flowing river of change, not a block of solid material; a continually changing constellation of potentialities, not a fixed quantity of traits.”
― Carl R. Rogers