Dr. Bill Collins This is Me

Education

 Web References

1. 1. kingcountyjournal.com - Marriage counseling: Find some solace in a third party

   www.kingcountyjournal.com/site - [Cached]

   Published on: 10/2/2003   Last Visited: 10/2/2003

   Couples often seek out a therapist for the same reason people go to doctors -- "something hurts," said Bill Collins, training director for Presbyterian Counseling Service, which has offices in South King County and on the Eastside. The pain could be expressed as "We're tired of living this way," or "I'm not getting any respect," Collins said.
   
   Other occasions when couples may want to seek counseling are "when new stressors are in your life," Collins said. For instance, one partner may get laid off, or is offered a great job in Oregon when the other partner feels rooted here.
   
   "When life changes, we change a little bit more slowly than is needed," he said. "There's a whole bunch of people who can have a problem adjusting, so the help they need is adjusting to a new circumstance."
   
   But Collins said couples should also consider visiting a therapist periodically for a "tune-up," much as they go to the dentist to have their teeth cleaned or visit the doctor's office for routine screening tests.
   
   A similar "wellness" visit to the marriage therapist "gives you a chance to address something that's on your mind" -- perhaps even a relatively minor problem -- before it becomes a big problem, Collins said.
   
   Whatever the issue at hand, a therapist is a neutral third party who can help the couple sort things out.
   
   "When emotions get involved, it tends to flood people," Collins said. "Just (the therapist's) presence slows down the process. People talk differently with a third party present than they do at home."
   
   Collins said couples often misunderstand each other, but the counselor "can often ask clarifying questions that one or the other parties doesn't ask. They can help structure the conversation, help support the pieces that get silenced." For instance, one partner may look very angry, but isn't saying anything. The therapist "can help put those feelings into words," Collins said.
   
   Couples may not seek help for smaller problems because they don't want to spend the money and "somehow it seems like a failure if you're having problems talking to people," Collins said.
   
   What if you want to see a counselor, but your spouse isn't willing?
   
   "Often the barrier there is, `We can solve this ourselves,"' Collins said. "You're supposed to take care of things yourself -- a lot of people carry that value." But if one partner can offer sound reasons to seek counseling -- and explain that the purpose is to help, not assign blame -- it can help convince the hesitant partner, Collins said.
   ...
   "Our norm is to meet with someone on the average nine times," Collins said. "If we're talking about wellness and tune-ups, that can be satisfactorily done in two or three or four visits," he said.
   ...
   After earning their master's degree and before sitting for the state licensing exam, marriage and family therapists must have 1,000 hours of contact with clients and 200 hours of supervision, according to Bill Collins, training director for Presbyterian Counseling Service.
   
   * Check the status of a therapist's license at the state Department of Health Web site, www.doh.wa.gov.

2. 2. Education  Brian

   www.mftassociates.com/inlines/ - [Cached]

   Published on: 12/1/1996   Last Visited: 1/26/2008

   Clinical Supervisors: Doug Anderson Ph.D., (AAMFT Approved Clinical Supervisor) Bill Collins Ph.D., (AAMFT Approved Clinical Supervisor) Linda Barson M.A., (AAMFT Approved Clinical Supervisor)
   ...
   Bill Collins Ph.D.
   
   Marriage and Family Therapist Intern Pacific Lutheran University Good Samaritan Mental Health Clinic Tacoma, Washington. Puyallup, Washington
   ...
   Workshop presented by Dr. Bill Collins. Dr. Collins is on the faculty of Presbyterian Counseling Service's MFT post-graduate training program. Seattle, WA.