What's In a Name?

The name Scout came from a vision formed with the help of some good friends as a merger of the current two fold meaning of the word as a person sent out ahead of a main force so as to gather information about the enemy's position, strength, or movements as well as the act of gathering such information, the Old French meaning of “escouter”, meaning “to listen”, and as a word very close to an important part of my past. 

As counselors, our job is multifaceted. Our primary goal is to listen to you in order to understand your life, your challenges, your enemies (be they personal, marital, or familial) and then use our knowledge and training to assist you in understanding and dealing with those enemies. Our hope is through our “scouting” efforts, we can help you see how you might respond differently and get direction, hence the compass, to the enemies in your life. 

Aside from being a nice play on a word, Scout has personal meaning as well. As an accomplished Boy Scout, Tyler obtained many merit badges and participated in lots of events and gatherings designed to equip him for various situations. He was challenged to do just about everything, from start a fire without a match to building a shelter from sticks and leaves. One particular challenge was finding his way through the woods, blindfolded and in the dark. “It was lonely, scary, and very difficult…” he says, but he “learned a great deal about using my other senses and seeing without my eyes.” Counseling is a similar experience of developing your awareness and other senses when working with us as your counselor. We see our role as helping you, our clients, find your way through the darkness of life by teaching you to see what you cannot see at the moment- your inner skills and abilities, your inner compass, to pilot the challenges in your life. 

In a phrase, Scout Counseling exists to listen to your heart, provide you with insight about the challenges in your life, and teach you to use the compass of your soul to navigate your path.