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My name is Mark Underwood and I am a Cognitive Behavioral Therapist who specializes in treating Clinical Depression and Anxiety with an easy-to-understand approach and common sense techniques. I also do a lot of Behavioral Therapy to help people understand how to improve their relationships with their partners and children. I am licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist in Alabama, Texas, and Indiana.
My approach
I've found that people come to counseling for one of two simple reasons: they either don't like what's going on in their heads or what's going on in their relationships. A good therapist should be comfortable helping walk their clients through how to understand and take control of both their thoughts and emotions and how those impact their relationships. I try and avoid therapy-speak and give very experiential and user-friendly ways to accomplish both goals.
My focus
I am best with people who are "regular folks" who don't want to live in the therapeutic world but just want to understand how to make their lives work and feel better. I prefer to have open and natural conversations like you would have with a friend or colleague and avoid the stereotypical "Clinical" relationship which is usually intimidating and off-putting to the person coming in looking for help. Again, I try to do the basics which is helping people deal with the negativity and helplessness that come with depression and anxiety, and try to help my people gain control of their thoughts, emotions, and relationships.
My communication style
Very relaxed and conversational. Most of my in-person people call me by my first name and I would rather see them as coming "to talk to Mark" rather than "going to see my Psychotherapist".
My journey to mental healthcare
I originally pursued being a counselor back some 30 years ago out of an awareness and resulting sense of responsibility that my church denomination did not have adequate resources to address and treat emotional and cognitive issues that its members were experiencing. I was really too young and didn't have enough life experience to be super effective back in my late 20s and early 30s, so I ventured out into the business world and owned a three-store restaurant franchise for about 8 years and also ran an eldercare agency in Florida before coming back to being a Therapist about 15 years ago. I do this work because I want people's lives to be better and it feels very natural for me to do it at this point. I like seeing positive results and I enjoy the relationships and interactions from my sessions. Frequently I get as much out of them as my Clients do.
My goals for you
I let my people tell me what they want to accomplish and I help them clarify those goals. I take the position that everyone has their own vision of how they want their life to work and run and I work to be able to see that picture as clearly as they do.
My first session with you
A very relaxed and comfortable talk where they feel not only like I heard and understood them, but also that I am experienced in real-life situations and can help with whatever is bothering them!
