About Me
The information below is my introduction to you, to let you know a little more about me and how I approach counseling.
Hi, my name is Jerry, I have over 30 years counseling experience in the mental health field, I specialize in working with adults who have problems with depression and anxiety and general everyday life concerns and PTSD. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in the State of Oklahoma. I believe that counseling is a process that helps you become the person you want to be, not by giving advice but by working together to help you solve your concerns.
I also use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as my preferred choice of treatment. CBT for shorts offers a variety of tools that be can be used to speed up your progress. I usually recommend a book called "Understanding, subtitled, Finding Peace and Serenity in Life and Relationships, this is to help you better understand the principles of CBT If you would like to check this book out it can be found on Amazon.com, it is a very old book but a good book. Please let me know at anytime if you have any questions or concerns about this or anything else.
FYI - Symptoms of depression include: feelings of sadness, tearfulness, emptiness or hopelessness, angry outbursts, irritability or frustration, even over small matters, loss of interest or pleasure in most or all normal activities, such as sex, hobbies or sports, sleep disturbances, including insomnia or sleeping too much, tiredness and lack of energy, so even small tasks take extra effort, reduced appetite and weight loss or increased cravings for food and weight gain, anxiety, agitation or restlessness, slowed thinking, speaking or body movements, feelings of worthlessness or guilt, fixating on past failures or self-blame, trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions and remembering things, frequent or recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts or suicide.
Symptoms of anxiety include: common anxiety signs and symptoms include: feeling nervous, restless or tense, having a sense of impending danger, panic or doom, having an increased heart rate, breathing rapidly, experiencing, having difficulty controlling worry, having the urge to avoid things that trigger anxiety.
I also work with trauma victims who suffer from symptoms of PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Post-traumatic stress disorder is a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event - either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares, and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event.
Most people who go through traumatic events may have temporary difficulty adjusting and coping, but with time and good self-care, they usually get better. If the symptoms get worse, last for months or even years, and interfere with your day-to-day functioning, you may have PTSD.
Symptoms can include all of the following: Symptoms of negative changes in thinking and mood may include: negative thoughts about yourself, other people or the world, hopelessness about the future. Memory problems, including not remembering important aspects of the traumatic event, difficulty maintaining close relationships, feeling detached from family and friend, lack of interest in activities you once enjoyed, difficulty experiencing positive emotions, feeling emotionally numb. Changes in physical and emotional reactions. Symptoms of changes in physical and emotional reactions (also called arousal symptoms) may include: being easily startled or frightened, always being on guard for danger, self-destructive behavior, such as drinking too much or driving too fast, trouble sleeping, trouble concentrating, irritability, angry outbursts or aggressive behavior and overwhelming guilt or shame.
Getting effective treatment after PTSD symptoms develop can be critical to reduce symptoms and improve function. Symptoms can include, Avoidance
Symptoms of avoidance may include: trying to avoid thinking or talking about the traumatic event, avoiding places, activities or people that remind you of the traumatic even.
I use a thoroughly researched and proven method of therapy for PTSD that is called Written Exposure Therapy or WET for short. WET can be completed in as little as 5 sessions but may require more session for some people. If you have any of these symptoms and you want to get better faster, WET is one of the recommend treatment methods.
I believe that it is a relationship between two people. It takes courage to seek a more happy and fulfilling life to take the first steps to change. Counseling is about making changes that you want to make. If you are interested in a person that cares about your needs, is respectful and will listen to your needs then I am the counselor that can help you. I look forward to meeting and working with you.
I find some people like to chat, some like to do phone calls and some people like to do video sessions. In order to better understand your needs, could you please let me know how you would like to proceed.
If you would like to schedule a session, please check my calendar and pick an available time slot that works for you, if nothing is available that works for you, let me know as I am flexible will do my best to meet your needs. Thank you for your time, and I look forward to meeting you soon.
Some people like to start off with just chatting others feel more comfortable using the phone or video sessions. I just wanted to let you know, that I will never judge you and that I am here for your needs only, please let me know how I can assist you. When you do decide to take the next step, the following are instructions to help you have a better session.
Here is some useful information. When you come online for your video or phone session and or chat, I will see you and initiate the call all you have to do is to accept it. Better help states that the videos and phone calls work best with Google Chrome, please do a video test before your session to make sure your video and microphone are working correctly. It should be in the help section. If you have any questions just send me a message. This is to ensure a problem free and productive session for you.
FYI, chats can either be completed on your page, and I have 24 hours to respond to each message or you can actually schedule a chat session, just like you would a phone or video session.
Other important information, one important piece of information about this website, I am required to respond to any of your messages within 24 hours, except for weekends and holiday, but as you can see I am also up early in the morning as that is when I tend to answer my messages. Sometimes if it is early and not busy I even answer messages on weekends and sometime on holidays.
I also wanted to let you know that I do schedule some evening sessions, I schedule them Monday through Wednesday. I do not put them on my calendar as I want to save them for people who need them. I currently have open session on Monday through Wednesday at 5:30 and 6:30 EST. Please let me know if you need one of these early evening sessions.
Please let me know also what kind of session you would like, either chat, phone of video and I will be happy to schedule it for you. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Specialties
- Stress, Anxiety
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
Relationship issues , Trauma and abuse , Anger management , Self esteem , Bipolar disorder , Codependency , Commitment Issues , Control Issues , Dependent Personality , Emptiness , Life Purpose , Men's Issues
Clinical approaches:
Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Services Offered
Messaging
Live Chat
Phone
Video
Licensing
LPC #LPC01239 (Expires: 2023-06-30)
Reviews
These quotes represent just a few of the many positive reviews that we have received for Gerald Winter. We don’t pay anyone to provide their review and they are all made voluntarily. Some people's experience receiving therapy with BetterHelp might be different.
Jerry is extremely efficient. He understands what I say and what I'm going through He knows exactly what he's doing when it comes to providing specific professional advice for my issues with depression and anxiety. I highly recommend him to anyone who wants a counselor who won't waste your time!
Gerald is kind, attentive and produces results in a very short time. Initially I was against therapy. But I’m pleased with the progress. I’d recommend Better Help and Gerald to everyone.
Gerald listened very thoughtfully to my story and helped me come to realize my inner strengths. I’m very thankful for our time together.
Very relatable and pleasant to talk to.
I really liked my conversations with Gerald, he has helped me alot
I have learned more about myself within and few sessions with Jerry than I ever did in the last 15 years of seeking help! I have been completely open and honest with him concerning my issues and he has taken that information and set forth a plan to help me change my life one step at a time. Thank you Jerry and thank you better help I never dreamed your services would become such a valuable asset in my life.
Gerry is fantastic
I think he's absolutely amazing!! Got me through an extremely difficult time and helped me tremendously
Great listener. Very compassionate and understanding. The advices given were quite helpful as well. I really enjoy my sessions with Gerald!
My time this far with Gerald has really been wonderful.
I appreciate his patience and insight.
I also appreciate the types of items he sends me as far as books and “homework”. I am really grateful that I got linked with Gerald, and am always looking forward to our talks.
Gerald really takes the time to listen to me and give advice to dealing with a stressful situations. My anxiety has improved after applying his techniques to my life.
He’s a good listener, gives good advice and suggestions
I began my sessions with Gerald Winter as a grief counselor. I was very depressed and stressed out because I lost 4 family members during a short period of time during this pandemic. He helped me sort out my feelings, supported my mental health and encouraged me to do more for myself during this difficult time in my life. He was there for me during the transition of a home purchase, taking over my elderly father’s care and downsizing my work load. Thanks to this support system via BetterHelp I feel like I am finally back on my feet and would greatly recommend this service and specifically Gerald to anyone needing a cool, compassionate, professional to help pave the way back to mental health, I am so grateful!
Thank you so much,
Azucena Rivera
Jerry is kind, patient, calm, caring, responsive and non judgmental. His advice helped me incredibly.
I highly recommend Jerry for counseling for depression, anxiety, uncertainty, and trauma. Jerry spent many hours giving me the courage to stand up for what I believe in. He listened well, with no judgment, and gave great counsel throughout our sessions. I am feeling more confident, more equipped, and better prepared for the future. His practical guidance and humble experience gave me the right amount of encouragement I needed at the time to develop better strategies for handling recent life changes. I appreciate all he has done for me. Thank you!
very compassionate, patient, and accepting
He’s wonderful!!
Jerry is a very calm and understanding person. He listens to what you have to say and makes you the priority. I would highly recommend Jerry to anyone dealing with anxiety, stress, or any other challenge you are facing mentally.
Mr. Winter is very welcoming and inviting.
Whether you just need someone to listen to your thoughts or want an active therapist that will engage in asking you the right questions or help you through your difficult times - Gerald is what you need. He is absolutely amazing at listening to what you have to say & supplying insight and advice for every situation.
Jerry is the perfect therapist. He listens, understands and has 30+ years of experience. He really knows the ins and outs of how to cope with anxiety and racing thoughts. Highly recommend! I started in October 2020 and made such huge progress by December 2020. Thank you Jerry!!!
Gerald is a great listener and has provided me with the guidance I need. Gerald is easy to work with and I feel like he genuinely cares about his patients.
Gerald was a great fit for my counseling needs. I have anxiety and OCD, and he helped me to learn many strategies to help with both. I was nervous to start counseling, but I am so glad that I did because now I have a new way of handling my anxiety and OCD. His approach to counseling was a great fit for me, and I would definitely recommend him.
Great guy. Has helped me a lot. Would recommend to anyone
Gerald Winter entered my life and in the short time we have been working together he has made such an impact. I find myself taking the information he shares in our sessions and putting it into practice. I am making progress through traumatic events because of him. :)
I enjoy my sessions with Gerald Winter. He really listens to my problems and concerns. He helps me to analyze the situation I may have so that I can come up with a decision that will work for me.
Easy to talk to, great at at advice and ways to help!