GESTALT THERAPY

                                                                                    Allen Ross 

                                             (641)233-9197

                                      allenross108@gmail.com

                                                 Fairfield, IA

Allen Ross is a Gestalt therapist in practice for 35 years. For 28 of those years, he was a licensed counselor (LPCC) in Ohio. His first seven years were in outpatient chemical dependency. Allen taught Anger Management at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, Ohio for eight years and was the Employee Assistance Program Counselor for the United States Postal Service in Columbus for 12 years. He also maintained a private practice. Allen has completed 500 hours of training through the Gestalt Institutes of Central Ohio and Tucson, and recently published Stopping Your Inner Critic.  

GESTALT THERAPY

Gestalt work tends to focus on what the client is experiencing in the moment. Whether it is a thought process, a reaction, feelings,  or some form of distress, the therapist helps the client stay present with it. As the session develops, there are a variety of Gestalt methods that can help the client to get clearer,  go deeper and express what is emerging. Whatever direction the work takes, the emphasis stays primarily with immediate experience rather than interpretation or intellectual understanding.  

ANGER MANAGEMENT

Anger is very damaging in relationships. Anger from parents can have life-long negative effects on children. Anger in a work setting can create a variety of negative consequences. In Anger Management Training, you will learn how to NOT react with anger when something happens that you don't like. Training for individuals or couples typically requires three one-hour sessions.  

INTERNAL ANGER RELEASE

Learn how to release buried anger (from past mistreatment or abuse) while sitting quietly with your eyes closed. For more information, click on the tab at the top of the page.

STOPPING YOUR INNER CRITIC

The core of criticism is name-calling. It can be against yourself ( e.g. "I'm not good enough") or against others (e.g. "he's a jerk"). I refer to this name-calling process as your inner Critic. It usually operates below the surface of the mind, so you are not aware of the actual language. From below the surface, it can cause you to feel insecure, irritated, self-conscious, shy, defensive, intolerant, depressed and so on. Criticism against others is triggered by something you don't like. It is a habit...you are wired to respond to a certain stimulus with a critical response. Learning how to reduce your Critic involves 1) having an understanding of how it operates, 2) learning to recognize when you are triggered, and 3) having effective strategy for stopping the Critic.  In a few sessions, you can learn the basics and have the tools you need to continue working on reducing the Critic. The book, Stopping Your Inner Critic, gives a complete discussion of this work. Click on the tab at the top for information about this book.

VOICE DIALOGUE

Voice Dialogue work provides a whole new way to learn about your personality, reactions and motivations. Click the tab above for more information. 

COUPLES WHO ARGUE

It is normal for couples to disagree, to have misunderstandings, or for one person to do or say something the other does not like. It is normal to want the other person to make changes. There will always be issues to resolve. Your work is to do it respectfully. Once you degenerate into an argument, your chances of resolving anything begin to slip away. Stopping Your Inner Critic gives detailed strategy to help couples prevent arguments. We can also do this work very effectively in couples counseling. 

$50 PER SESSION.

FIRST SESSION IS ALWAYS FREE (no obligation whatsoever). 

RADIO INTERVIEW

The following is a link to a radio interview of Allen Ross discussing his book, Couples Who Argue (renamed Stopping Your Inner Critic).  www.kruufm.com/node/16358.