Counseling & Therapy for Individuals, Couples, & Families in Little Rock, AR.
Find out when therapy is indicated, Becky’s philosophy of healing, cost, and more.
Also … emergency relationship and marriage crisis therapy.
When do people come in for counseling?
What type of counselors are there out there?
Counseling Philosophy
What do I do, and where do I go to report any concerns I have about a licensed counselor in Arkansas?
When do people come in for counseling?
A person typically gets serious about counseling when one of two things has happened: either he or she is sick of his life the way it is and wants to do something about it, OR, he has experienced a crisis or major shake up like death of a loved one, divorce, loss of a career, major illness, then takes stock of his life and decides it’s time to change it. Most people attempt to fix things on their own before going to a counselor, and turn to a professional after concluding that they need help and guidance on the path to whatever is they are seeking.
“I became a counselor because of the amazing effect counseling had on my life many years ago,” says Becky. “I was fascinated about how the counseling process affected and improved my life and wanted to become a part of that process.”
What type of counselors are there out there?
There are lots of different types of counselors who are trained differently and work out of various philosophies. Although counselors are well aware of the differences, few lay people are. Most lay people have no idea whether they are calling a psychiatrist, who is a medical doctor (M.D.) who typically doesn’t do much if any talk therapy and mainly dispenses mental health medications and refers individuals to mental health counselors; a psychologist, who is highly trained in assessing, testing and diagnosing and also does talk therapy, is most likely to use traditional therapies based on behavioral beliefs like classical conditioning (Pavlov’s dog) and punishment and rewards; a social worker, who usually works for agencies serving lower income clients and is highly trained in the different community resources available; a counselor, who is trained in mental health and career counseling as well as assessment and diagnosis and talk therapy with individuals, or Marriage and Family Therapists who are trained to assess, diagnose, and to do mental health and career counseling with children, individuals, couples, and families.
Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC’s) and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT’s) are highly educated and trained to assist in the healing process. Each must have at least a master’s degree, and before being allowed to have a license must pass a state exam and serve as an intern under close supervision for a minimum of 3000 hours. After licensure, each LPC and LMFT stays on the cutting edge by attending workshops as part of a continuing education process. If you make an appointment with an LPC or LMFT, you can be sure you are seeing a person who has extensive training and experience.
Becky Whetstone, Ph.D. is an LPC and an LMFT in Texas, (the LPC is on hold), and also has her masters and doctorate in Marriage and Family Therapy from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas. She practiced in San Antonio for six years before moving to Arkansas in December 2011. In Arkansas, Becky has her LMFT and LPC licenses, so rest assured that she has been trained extensively to see not only individuals, but children, couples, and families, and has thousands of hours of experience. Also, Arkansas requires specialization licensing as deemed necessary, and Becky has two – one in hypnotherapy and the other in technology, which allows her to use Skype, Facetime, texting, emailing and the telephone to assist her clients.
In addition to counseling, Becky has been an adjunct professor of counseling in the graduate school at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas, as well as St. Mary’s University’s graduate counseling program.
Counseling Philosophy
Although there are many counselors and LMFT’s, most develop their own style and philosophy of counseling and healing. Becky describes herself as an eclectic therapist who takes bits and pieces from various psychological theories and tailor makes a method for each client according to what works best for him. She has been highly influenced by MFT theories such as Narrative and Collaborative, as well as Energy Psychology, Jungian, Transactional Analysis, and Gestalt. These days Becky is focusing on the work of Pia Mellody, author of “Facing Codependence,” and creator of the treatment plan for codependence, and on Terry Real, who was mentored by Mellody and who created a model for couples. Mellody’s model is simple to understand, clients can start using it immediately, it makes sense and is one of the most powerful frameworks Becky has ever seen for individual and family healing. Becky says that she continues to believe strongly in her methods because of the success rate she experiences with her clients.
“I believe that to live a joyful and abundant life a person must dedicate herself to living authentically,” she says. “Living authentically means lasting change, but it also means digging through all the layers we’ve created to protect ourselves and getting to the core us, the part of us that is real, authentic, joyful, wise, calm, loving, and all things good. When a person comes to see me we discuss this as the goal, and the process of counseling is peeling back the layers and getting a person to live comfortably in her own skin. To do this I use a variety of techniques, including relaxation therapy.
“I know I need counseling, but the thought of it makes me a little nervous!”
Whetstone says she is well aware that individuals are nervous when they come for counseling.
“Of course they are!” she says. “I know because I have done it myself! That’s why I do everything in my power to provide the counseling in an extremely relaxed and casual atmosphere. I present myself and my services the way I would want a counselor to present him or herself to me or my family if we went for help. As a client I’d want to be comfortable and at ease, and I’d want the counselor to be knowledgeable, (of course!), but I appreciate a person who is passionate about her work, professional, but also easy going and accessible.”
Becky’s office is designed to help clients feel comfortable … it is a professional space that is laid out in a comfortable family room atmosphere. Clients can put their feet up – or not … whatever makes them the most comfortable. We also provide cold and hot drinks and snacks. We want you to feel at home!
What do I do, and where do I go to report any concerns I have about a licensed counselor in Arkansas?
As licensed therapists we are ethically obligated to provide you with contact information for the governing body that licenses and regulates us. This way you can contact them should you have any concerns about the services of any licensed therapist in Arkansas. Here is the contact information for the Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling:
Mail Address:
Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling
101 E Capitol Ave #202, Little Rock, AR 72201
(501) 683-5800
Becky Whetstone is an Arkansas native and has a Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas. She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in Texas and Arkansas. 
