I provide one-on-one counseling for people dealing with a wide variety of issues. I am licensed in both North Carolina in Michigan; I can provide video sessions to people in either state, or meetings in-person in East Asheville.
I believe that rich, authentic conversations—full of curiosity and discovery—lead to transformation. I don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach to counseling. Stock answers are rarely helpful. I show up with humility, the wisdom I’ve collected over the years, and a readiness to discover who you are and what brings you alive.
A lot of my clients have been to several counselors before, and tell me they’re relieved to find someone who actually hears them and connects with them. I’m focused on discovering you, not on telling you the answers I think I already know.
I find it is best for these conversations to happen in person, ideally in beautiful and natural surroundings. This allows your developing relationship with the natural world to be an ingredient in your transformation process. For these purposes, I have an East Asheville office cabin in a private wooded setting (as you can see in the photos on this website), with a circle for making fire and trails for walking. We can meet indoors or outdoors, according to the needs of weather or personal preference. It’s a gem of a location, just 15 minutes from downtown, but still in a place that feels wild and private.
Specialties
- Men’s work: I love to work with men who want to discover how to be deeply alive and authentically good in this modern world. This is a journey that I have walked for 45+ years: I have suffered and thrived, failed and succeeded; I have walked with many others through these things as well.
- Teens & Young Adults: I love working with people who are discovering who they are or exploring the story of their own lives for the first time. — Of course, that’s a lifelong journey for all of us. — But I find a particular vibrancy in my work with high school and college-aged clients.
- Sexuality: Sexuality can be hard to talk about. It can be indispensable to have someone who is comfortable and knows what they’re doing with whom we can be 100% open about issues of sexuality. Whether you have experienced sexual abuse or trauma, you’re struggling to make sense of your desires and behaviors, you’re exploring issues related to sexual identity, or you simply want to grow in your understanding of your sexuality: That’s what I’m here for.
- Spiritual and existential matters: I know what it is to have a deep faith that forms the foundation of my life; and I also know what it is to have that faith fall apart, leaving me utterly lost. So I have a deep respect for people in either situation. If you are wrestling with matters of faith and spirituality, I think you will find me a trustworthy companion. In a similar vein, I love to help with those who are considering or integrating the use of psychedelic/entheogenic substances as a part of their growth journey.
Theoretical Orientation?
Theories of counseling have limited usefulness. I believe it’s more important to authentically pay attention to the person I’m sitting with than to rigidly apply a theory of counseling.
Still, I have studied many theories, and especially appreciate the wisdom within humanistic and existential counseling approaches.
My life and thinking has been deeply impacted by the work of David Whyte, Carl Jung, C.S. Lewis, Mary Oliver, Jon Young, Bill Plotkin, Annie Dillard, Dan Allender, and many others.
Forms & Policies
If you’d like to view/download my forms & policies, knock yourself out:
Tim Courtois 