JUANITA RISCHARD

As a Spanish speaking bilingual counselor; I am open to and feel honored to work with individuals from all cultures.  (Por favor clientes Hispanos pasen al parrafo ultimo-Spanish speaking clients please see last paragraph).  Over the last eight years I have worked as a counselor with children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families in school settings, agencies and private practice. Presently, I seek to help adults of all ages cope with life situations/transitions and find healing from woundedness, trauma, stress, anxiety, fear and depression. My areas of particular interest include Stress/Anger/Anxiety management, Depression/Self Esteem issues, Trauma/Abuse issues, Grief & Loss Issues, Relationship issues, Couples counseling, Family & Women’s issues, Spirituality and Geriatric counseling.

When I was a little girl, I remember my ill grandmother being cared for at a local hospital. I watched the nurses take care of her and thought, “I want to help people, too.” Those thoughts evolved into my pursing a career in nursing where I was able to help others like my grandmother had been helped. For many years I worked in various nursing positions including surgery supervisor, obstetrics supervisor, director of nursing service, school nurse and school health coordinator. My experience in the school setting led to my becoming an educator and eventually a school principal. While I enjoyed working with children and their families in the field of education, I really wanted to incorporate my skills in a more direct way. The idea of holistic wellness, body, mind and spirit was a concept that was important to me in relieving the stressors and hurts that I witnessed many families encountering in everyday living.

I believed that counseling was a way that I could support individuals and families in becoming involved in their own health, healing and well being. I became a school counselor and for a time worked in the school districts of McKinney ISD and Plano ISD. I have experience in community counseling as I have provided volunteer services for Journey of Hope ( a grief and loss  support agency) and have provided counseling for clients at Hope’s Door, a shelter  for individuals experiencing domestic and family violence. Additionally, I have worked as a bilingual counselor at City House, a crisis center for families and youth. I have recently completed a three year program in “Heartpaths,” a program that has led to my being certified as a Spiritual Director. This allows me to work with clients who seek counseling from a faith or spiritual perspective.

I believe that counseling is a process whereby the counselor and the client work together in a non-judgmental setting that promotes growth and healing. Central to the goal of counseling is the