About Mark Luff

About ten years ago…

… a large group of friends and I were going to a state park for a weekend of car camping. We pull up to the park entrance, and there is no one at the gate to direct us where to go. I had been to this park once before. I wasn’t totally certain where to go, but I had a basic mental map of the park.

My initial plan was to talk to the person at the gate to find the designated camping spots. When that was no longer an option, I got out and went to the car of friends following me. As the driver rolled down the windows, she asked, “Which way do we go?”

I said, “I don’t know. But I’ll figure it out, follow me,” and walked back to my car.

My wife, who was riding shotgun in the second car, turned to the driver and said, “I think that’s his philosophy of life.”

As we drove, elements of the landscape looked familiar to me, I made some intuitive decisions, and sure enough, we got exactly where we wanted to go.

I adapt to my situation.

I function this way in all aspects of life. And I believe it serves my clients well.

Now, I have my Master’s in Counseling from Dallas Theological Seminary. I’m EMDR trained, state licensed, trained in the Gottman Method for couples counseling. I favor certain therapeutic methods and have five years of clinical experience, all of which I draw from to develop individualized and flexible treatment plans.

But, here’s the thing: I have never been on a backpacking or camping trip that went perfectly according to plan. Someone breaks an ankle, and we have to carry them out. I get stung by a swarm of bees and dosed with a ton of Benadryl that knocks me out for a day.

I have a mental map of what achieves mental health, but I don’t know the twists and turns in your story yet. I may have an exceptional treatment plan, and then you throw me a new piece of information that shifts us onto an alternative path. The good news is that my favorite kind of work is highly individualized care adapted to your needs.

I love counseling because I love freedom.

This value orients most areas of my life. The freedom to make decisions according to my values, choose how and with whom I spend my time and the freedom to adapt to new situations. And I love watching it unfold for others in the counseling process. You experience freedom, sometimes for the first time. Freedom from obstacles that prevent you from pursuing your goals. Freedom from the pain of traumatic memories. Freedom from walls that sever your relationships.

As we openly approach this journey together…

… we are going to find the path to healthiness and freedom.

Call today to set up your free phone consultation: (423) 414-4047.

We’ll take this next step together and discuss how we’ll help you make lasting changes.