VALUES BASED® COUNSELING
with Kelly Patrick Gerling, Ph.D.

Serving the Portland, Oregon Area

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About Kelly

INTRODUCTION

Kelly's Quest

Values Based—what does that mean? Your values are experiences that you want, need and feel are important.

My counseling and coaching services exist to help you fulfill your values.

Happiness and satisfaction, joy and excitement, peace and contentment (and other healthy, cooperative values too) refer to those values that you feel—that permeate your being—when you are following your life narrative properly to fulfill your destiny.

These values cannot come to anyone from a wish or a pill or in any direct way. Rather, the fulfillment of values comes indirectly—through envisioning dreams of destiny, and then doing what it takes to make those dreams come true—by living them fully and bringing forth our goals.

Sometimes we encounter difficulties and seemingly unsolvable, persistent problems.

No matter where we are on life's journey, there are times when we experience pain . . . or confusion . . . or depression . . . or conflict . . . or yearning for more excitement, fulfillment or meaning.

It is difficult to realize in such moments that the pain we feel about a problem contains hints and inner guidance about the solution to the problem.

Hunger calls for food. Thirst calls for water. A little cut on the finger calls for a band-aid and some time to heal. For that matter, an oil light going on in the car cannot be fixed with a piece of tape to hide the light. The oil light itself is not a problem. Rather, the oil light calls for oil—it is a signal which indicates that there is a problem. And so it is with painful emotions. Anxiety, feelings of distress, confusion, dissatisfaction, depression, unfulfilled yearning, and other painful emotions are not something to evade or cover up. These feelings are not problems. They are signals—and therefore, symptoms of something else. They indicate a problem exists and they are the key for finding a solution.

So my approach considers your emotions not as irrational feelings separate from your rational thinking process. Not at all. Feelings are rarely irrational. Rather, I consider your emotions as an integral part of your worldview, and that they come from your inner, automatic, involuntary system of values. Like an inner compass, your system of values—through your emotions—guides you through your life journey by signaling you to identify what is important and meaningful.

Entering with me into the quiet, reflective, deeply felt process of Values Based Counseling is a process by which you pursue your inner calling for solving problems, for designing and achieving personal changes, and for choosing and achieving a important goals. Your values define your problems and goals, and the processes of counseling provide methods for solving your problems and achieving your goals.

Elsewhere in this website, you'll find more information about me, the origins of my counseling, the story of its development, the methods I use, the types of services I offer, frequently asked questions, setting up an appointment, about books, tapes, links and other resources.

METHODS
Depth Psychology
NLP

Hypnotherapy

Conflict Resolution

Values

Healing

Spirituality

Conceptual Blending

Synthesis

TYPES OF SERVICE
Individual Counseling
Family Counseling
Life Story Coaching
Mediation
Physician Coaching
Leadership Consulting

GETTING STARTED
FAQs
Appointments
Contact Kelly

RESOURCES
Books and Tapes
Links