DK Therapy has grown in the past six months and we would like to give you the opportunity to get to know a little more about our therapists, what challenges their clients face, and what it would be like to work with them.
At DK, we focus on your comfort within the therapy office. We hope that knowing a bit about your therapist before your first visit, helps you make a connection even before meeting them.
Without further ado…
What experiences have brought you to the helping profession?
Adriane Barton, LCPC, CADC
Adriane Barton:
I was drawn to the helping profession with a sincerely selfish desire to help myself. My upbringing was volatile and I recognized my adulthood would be quite unpleasant were I to continue down the path that I was on. I recognized my desire to “make sense of it all” and “just be normal” and sought education and assistance with the clear-cut goal of “be better.” With much resistance, acceptance, searching, and finding, I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to be a guide to those experiencing similar life afflictions.
What tips do you have for people coming to therapy for the first time?
Adriane Barton:
Participation in therapy is a deeply personal decision. I’m supportive of individuals with a renegade spirit who want to go at it alone, but recognize there are also some who do decide that they need the help 
of an additional party. If you are one of those people, I encourage you to have an open mind and dig deep for courage.
Lower your expectations for “quick fixes” and allow yourself to be as vulnerable as possible. Don’t be afraid to communicate your feelings and opinions to your therapist. Keep in mind that the first therapist you choose may not be a good fit. You may not even know why. If you are committed to helping yourself, be willing to search for the therapist you want to commit to. You’ll experience many moments of grief, pain, frustration, loss, happiness, silliness, love, gratitude, and relief with this person. Make sure you feel comfortable with them.
What do you hope clients gain when working with you?
Adriane Barton:
I hope that my clients see a return of clarity and rejuvenation of purpose through our work together. After meeting with a new client, I try to take some time to develop goals for our work together. Those goals often include normalizing and validating their experiences and increasing their coping skills to handle whatever is going on in their lives that brought them to sit on my couch. Once our time together is complete, I hope they appreciate the discoveries they’ve made and leave treating themselves a little kinder, having gained gentler expectations of themselves.
