NOTICE: Now Offering Video/Telephone Sessions for Clients
Jed Thorpe - Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, board certified and EMDR Trained.
I've hit the jackpot with life. By that, I mean that everything hard in my life helped me to learn, grow and get stronger. And the life lottery started out quick! My bio-dad died in a motorcycle crash when I was 3 years old. From this tragedy, my Mom married my step-dad when I was six and we moved from the beaches of Del Mar, California, to a trailer court in the middle of the high desert. I remember the drive because Tina, my cat, had kittens under the passenger seat in our 1969 convertible Camaro somewhere on Interstate 15 around Bakersfield. I grew up in a single-wide trailer in rural Utah and although we didn't have a lot, we always had enough (you're right, total cliché there). I didn't realize how humble my up-bringing was until many years later because it was just normal to me. It was normal, having to stock-pile wood if I didn't want to freeze in the High Desert winters. It was normal to dig a hole in the hard ground deep enough for a telephone pole that held the basketball hoop. It was normal to run amok from sun up to sun down with your moms instruction being, "be home before it gets dark". It was even normal (I hope you're sitting down), to drink water from a random house that had a green hose attached to it! Inside those years, I learned a lot of tough lessons that schooling never could teach - And because all the stories would never fit on this "about me" page, I hope it's enough to say that those experiences help me to be a competent (albeit blunt at times) therapist, today.
Therapy starts with 2 things; connection and being genuine. Having been trained in many styles of therapy I've found that, for me, being honest and direct is the quickest way to establish a genuine connection. I believe that providing supportive and honest reflection at the appropriate time gives people the best opportunity for gaining awareness which can then be used to work through life struggles. Clients will often hear me say, 'do you want nice or honest?' Nice gives them the answer they want to hear (and have likely heard before) while honest gives them something new to think about. At the end of the day, therapy is all about giving people the option to think differently. Thinking first - then feeling - then behaving.
My philosophy: You are not broken. People can change and many relationships can mend. Lastly, you are stronger and definitely more resilient than you realize.
Now, let's get to work.
I've hit the jackpot with life. By that, I mean that everything hard in my life helped me to learn, grow and get stronger. And the life lottery started out quick! My bio-dad died in a motorcycle crash when I was 3 years old. From this tragedy, my Mom married my step-dad when I was six and we moved from the beaches of Del Mar, California, to a trailer court in the middle of the high desert. I remember the drive because Tina, my cat, had kittens under the passenger seat in our 1969 convertible Camaro somewhere on Interstate 15 around Bakersfield. I grew up in a single-wide trailer in rural Utah and although we didn't have a lot, we always had enough (you're right, total cliché there). I didn't realize how humble my up-bringing was until many years later because it was just normal to me. It was normal, having to stock-pile wood if I didn't want to freeze in the High Desert winters. It was normal to dig a hole in the hard ground deep enough for a telephone pole that held the basketball hoop. It was normal to run amok from sun up to sun down with your moms instruction being, "be home before it gets dark". It was even normal (I hope you're sitting down), to drink water from a random house that had a green hose attached to it! Inside those years, I learned a lot of tough lessons that schooling never could teach - And because all the stories would never fit on this "about me" page, I hope it's enough to say that those experiences help me to be a competent (albeit blunt at times) therapist, today.
Therapy starts with 2 things; connection and being genuine. Having been trained in many styles of therapy I've found that, for me, being honest and direct is the quickest way to establish a genuine connection. I believe that providing supportive and honest reflection at the appropriate time gives people the best opportunity for gaining awareness which can then be used to work through life struggles. Clients will often hear me say, 'do you want nice or honest?' Nice gives them the answer they want to hear (and have likely heard before) while honest gives them something new to think about. At the end of the day, therapy is all about giving people the option to think differently. Thinking first - then feeling - then behaving.
My philosophy: You are not broken. People can change and many relationships can mend. Lastly, you are stronger and definitely more resilient than you realize.
Now, let's get to work.
What a wonderful thought it is that some of the best days of our lives haven't happened yet.
References:
"Jed is an amazing human being and has guided me through countless interactions leading to my success. I highly recommend!!"
~ J. P.
"The meaning to live facebook counseling page has been an instrumental part of my life. Every time I have a moment where I need something that will help me reflect and refocus; I can always count on this page to give some nugget of information to help redirect me back on my own path. The posts are insightful, funny and enlightening. Thank you for this page it is truly uplifting. #imnotbroken #meaningtolive #enoughwasenough" See Facebook page at www.facebook.com/meaningtolive
~ A.H.
"Jed taught me a whole new way of thinking. He was incredible at making me feel comfortable allowing me to open up and deal with the issues I needed to. I would absolutely recommend."
~ K.H.
"If you're interested in awareness, identifying thinking errors, and why we do what we do. Jed has an amazing humorous style of pointing out irrational beliefs tied to negative emotions. A gloves off approach of honesty leading to healing and healthy behaviors sponsored by rational healthy thinking."
~ P.M.
"It was so easy for me to get caught up in my own spin, and Jed had an amazing way of helping me get out of it. He never made me feel like a victim and helped me realize the choices I could make in my own life. If you have issues you need to work through, and really want to do the work, this is the place for you."
~ LM J.
"I'm going to 'ingratiate' for a minute and tell how awesome of a therapist Jed is. He had a very profound impact on me. I would recommend him to any of my close family or friends."
~ K.H.
~ J. P.
"The meaning to live facebook counseling page has been an instrumental part of my life. Every time I have a moment where I need something that will help me reflect and refocus; I can always count on this page to give some nugget of information to help redirect me back on my own path. The posts are insightful, funny and enlightening. Thank you for this page it is truly uplifting. #imnotbroken #meaningtolive #enoughwasenough" See Facebook page at www.facebook.com/meaningtolive
~ A.H.
"Jed taught me a whole new way of thinking. He was incredible at making me feel comfortable allowing me to open up and deal with the issues I needed to. I would absolutely recommend."
~ K.H.
"If you're interested in awareness, identifying thinking errors, and why we do what we do. Jed has an amazing humorous style of pointing out irrational beliefs tied to negative emotions. A gloves off approach of honesty leading to healing and healthy behaviors sponsored by rational healthy thinking."
~ P.M.
"It was so easy for me to get caught up in my own spin, and Jed had an amazing way of helping me get out of it. He never made me feel like a victim and helped me realize the choices I could make in my own life. If you have issues you need to work through, and really want to do the work, this is the place for you."
~ LM J.
"I'm going to 'ingratiate' for a minute and tell how awesome of a therapist Jed is. He had a very profound impact on me. I would recommend him to any of my close family or friends."
~ K.H.