Jon Youngs, LPC

ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS

Hello, my name is Jon Youngs and since a “good fit” with your Counselor is one of the most important aspects of good therapy, I thought I’d let you know a bit about who I am.

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with a Masters of Arts in Counseling from Western Michigan University. I have worked in the Mental Health field for over 40 years in a variety of settings representing a wide range of people across the social, economic, religious, political, age and personal identity spectrum. This includes: Group Homes (providing care and counseling for Emotionally Impaired adolescents); a Non-profit Social Work Agency (providing counseling/skills training for foster families and families involved in Child Protective Services); a Community Mental Health agency (providing individual, family and group therapy for adults and adolescents and counseling/mental health advocacy for inmates at the County Jail); and in Private Practice (providing counseling for teens, adults and couples). This broad exposure to people from different walks and stages of life, along with my own life experiences, has made me acutely aware that we are all susceptible to the emotional challenges life can (and will!) throw at us. I have been privileged to witness the incredible strength, courage and resilience of those who have experienced the pain of loss, disappointment, loneliness and trauma. Our ability to adapt, learn and grow within the very complex social structures we are born into is incredibly powerful! I have come to believe that no matter the world we are born into, we are all faced with the challenge of learning how to live our best lives and that this is a life-long process. Achieving this primary goal largely rests in the ability to recognize and apply our power of self-determination by defining ourselves and our personal values. While this is not an easy chore, I believe it is an achievable one. Life can feel like a very complex puzzle, and I have been working on my puzzle throughout my lifetime. I view my role as a Counselor as an opportunity and privilege to support individuals, couples and families better understand and solve their own life puzzles.

My approach to therapy involves a person-centered approach. Meaning: you are the expert of yourself and you inform me of what you want to achieve through therapy. Therapy is an interactive process between client and clinician built around a healthy, safe therapeutic relationship. My job is to support you toward your goals by offering acceptance, understanding, support, encouragement, insights, interpretations and information. My approach is strongly informed by Attachment Theory which stresses the value of understanding how the relational dynamics we experience with our caretakers early in life shapes our developing sense of self and our ability to develop trusting, healthy, safe relationships with others throughout our lives. Our ability to establish and maintain healthy, safe relationships is a valuable asset that supports us through those challenges life will present us with. I use a variety of therapeutic approaches drawing primarily from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Mindfulness and Solution Focused strategies.

I look forward to meeting, getting to know, and offering my support to you! If you would like to talk or meet with me before making the important decision about whether or not I represent that “good fit”, please contact me through Counseling Center of West Michigan to schedule a free consultation session either in person, virtually or over the phone.