Alan Lipps, LPC

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor and am dedicated to helping people find hope and recovery.

I am 61 years old and have graduate degrees in marriage and family therapy and in social work. I have been in recovery from substance use, major depressive disorder, traumatic-stress, and anxiety since July of 1988. My desire is to use what I have learned on my own journey to walk beside others on their journeys; offering hope, encouragement, and wisdom along the way. I enjoy connecting with people, and do my best to create a safe, trusting environment where painful, difficult, and healing conversations can take place.

I use a mixture of models of psychotherapy/counseling and am very much informed by recent research in neurobiology and neuropsychology. This research demonstrates that emotions and behaviors associated with those emotions are produced by the body outside of the conscious (thinking part) of the brain. For example, when a person experiences a frightening event, the body will automatically enter into a state commonly referred to as the fight-or-flight response. In this state, the organs and muscles of the body are ready to take action to escape from the threat. Many people who have suffered from repeated traumatic events can become stuck in this state (called chronic hypervigilence). Emotions corresponding to this state include fear (or anxiety), shame (self-blame), and anger. Behaviors commonly include fight behaviors (e.g., arguing, yelling, physical hitting, etc.). To treat this problem, the central nervous system has to return to a state of calm, relaxed, perception of safety.