About Pathways Counseling

Jake’s* decision to act led to his first kiss.

Sweat starts breaking out across the brow of Jake’s head as he nervously twirls a strand of hair while pacing the floor. He is trying to muster the courage to ask Sarah* on their first date. As a teenage boy, he hasn’t done this before, so he doesn’t know what to expect.

Jake struggles with the right words to say. Finally, heart pounding through his chest, he calls her. The first ring of the phone call, he begins to hope she doesn’t answer. On the second ring, Sarah answers with her always cheerful voice and says, “Hello.”

When he picks Sarah up for the date, the butterflies return. Jake anticipated a great time with Sarah. But he also is nervous. “What will we talk about? Will she think I’m weird?” Sarah could sense Jake’s uneasiness, so she told him how happy she was that he had asked her out.

Everything about her seemed to help Jake relax. Sarah and Jake had a great first date. When they start talking, it’s like he has met his new best friend. This experience created a great connection! And in case you are wondering, yes, Jake had his first kiss that night!

Deciding to connect with a therapist is challenging.

Making that first call to a new therapist can have feelings similar to Jake’s. You want relief. It’s time to feel better and learn to cope with the challenges. But like Jake, nervousness and not knowing what to say is a hurdle to get past.

The first visit may also come with a mix of emotions. There is a positive anticipation about getting started with therapy. But there is often wondering how to start the conversation and whether you will feel comfortable talking with your therapist. Sitting down with a stranger and telling them such personal things is difficult.

Helpful Hint: Once again, your part is to have the courage to show up. It’s our responsibility to set you at ease and help guide the conversation.

The good news is your experience will be much like Jake’s first date with Sarah, minus the kiss. We don’t do that. 🙂

Our therapists understand being nervous.

We’ve been there and had our first session with a therapist.

We will do a great job of setting you at ease and helping you feel relaxed and safe. That’s what we do.

So, go ahead, take a deep breath, and call today.

Pathways Counseling NWA is the right place for you.

Some people know the source of their pain. And some don’t.

There is a story of a young man who went to see a wise sage. The young man asked the sage how to find a more profound satisfaction in his life. This young man was everything that defined success. He had lots of money, and his wealth and possessions put him in the top 1% of the world. He had an excellent education, and his great personality, charisma, and charm made him popular. All kinds of people sought him out for friendships.

Knowing this about the young man, the wise sage whispered something in his ear that no one else heard. The young man looked the sage in the eyes, and then, his head dropped so that his chin rested on his chest. He turned and walked away.

The young man had all that life could offer, had lived a charmed life in many ways, didn’t experience traumas, and had a great family. He had been a good person and was on a career path with significant opportunities. Yet somewhere deep inside, there was an ache in his soul. He felt something was missing, like something was wrong, but he didn’t know how to fix it.

Whether you are like this young man and don’t know what’s wrong but feel an ache deep inside or struggle with the traumas of the past, anxiety, or depression, Pathways Counseling NWA is your place.

How can Pathways Counseling help you?

Intentionally, by design, and with clarity, our clients at Pathways Counseling are our top priority. You are why we are here. We aren’t a traditional, one-size-fits-all practice. We are here when you need us, and it’s about your goals, not our agenda.

We know that some clients need or want sessions outside the “normal” business hours. So, in addition to traditional 8 to 5, Monday-through-Friday appointments, we can see clients early mornings, evenings, and weekends.

We also keep a couple of time slots available for those times you need to see us between your regularly scheduled appointments. Our goal is to be able to see a current client for an extra appointment within 24 to 48 hours.

You help set your goals for therapy. We may suggest some goals based on our clinical assessments and experience. Ultimately, this is a collaborative effort between you and your therapist to set and track progress toward your goals for therapy.

*These are fictitious names and scenarios used only to illustrate real-life situations.