Dr. Israel Peña, clinical counselor in Poughkeepsie
People usually find their way to this office after trying to handle something on their own for a long time. That's normal. The work starts wherever you are.
How he works
Dr. Peña's practice is built on one idea: symptoms are information, not the problem. Anxiety, a marriage that keeps having the same fight, anger that shows up out of nowhere, those are signals pointing at something underneath. So the first few sessions are mostly about finding out what that something is, in your words, without a script.
From there the work gets practical. You'll leave sessions with things to try, notice, or say differently, and you'll come back and talk about how it went. Some people need six weeks. Some need a year. Nobody gets kept in a chair longer than they need to be.
Faith is part of this practice for the clients who want it. If godly counsel is what you're looking for, say so and it becomes part of the conversation. If it isn't, the clinical work stands entirely on its own, and nobody will bring it up.
The office is small on purpose. You see the same person every time, and he remembers what you told him last week.
If you already know what you're dealing with, go straight to individual counseling, marriage counseling, family counseling, grief counseling or correctional counseling. If you'd rather know what a first visit looks like before committing, read what to expect.
Doctor of Ministry in Clinical Counseling, Revelation University
Doctor of Ministry, New York Theological Seminary
IRBO certification: Multidisciplinary Support Professional, Therapeutic Pastoral Counselor / Theo Therapeutic Counselor
Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 10:00am to 9:00pm
What clients tend to say afterward
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