Cole Butler Counseling

You’re stuck on a clinical case. Progress stalls. As a therapist it’s easy to ask “what technique do I use here?”

The more useful question is “what is this stuck case telling me?”

Some of the hardest cases I’ve sat with don’t move because I picked the wrong tool. They don’t move because the approach is aimed at the wrong level entirely. I needed to dig deeper.

A few things I learned recently:

When a competent, evidence-based approach keeps failing, that’s data. Doing more of the same rarely fixes it.

A symptom that resists good technique is usually protecting something, a moral truth, an identity, a relationship the client can’t afford to lose. The rigidity is armor, not irrationality. What are the costs of dropping the belief?

Real movement often comes when a client can hold their pain differently without having to betray what’s true. A trauma survivor doesn’t have to call the harm acceptable to stop being defined by it.

Timing this intervention is critical. Offered too early, before the anger and grief have been felt, that “shift” becomes bypass. The forgiveness research is clear that the anger comes first and the meaning comes last. The sequence is what protects the person.

The anger and grief need to be metabolized for healing to occur.

Cole Butler, LPC · Cole Butler Counseling

Most people think good therapy comes down to whether you click with your therapist.

The click matters. But the research points to three things, and they work together 👇

→ The relationship. Not just rapport, but whether you agree on the problem, agree on the goal, and can repair things when they get tense. It’s the strongest predictor of outcomes.

→ The method. The relationship matters most, but technique still has to be one that works. That’s what “evidence-based” actually means.

→ Measurement. Tracking whether you’re improving, and changing course when you’re not. Scientific rigor applied to one person: you.

Relationship, method, data. That combination is where real change lives.

I think every client deserves all three, so that’s the standard I hold myself to.

What’s been your experience? Did your best therapy have all three?

Thank you all for the support! Please consider checking out my new website as well to learn more.

Cole Butler Counseling — Fort Collins, CO Trauma-focused therapy with Cole Butler, LPC. Telehealth across Colorado. Evenings and weekends.

Hello! I am re-opening my private practice since I am now a fully licensed therapist. I will soon be accepting clients.

My approach is to do a thorough assessment to understand each client’s unique diagnostic picture, and then collaborate to form a treatment plan.

Sessions are tailored to client needs, not one-sized-fits-all. I have many therapy trainings and can utilize them as needed to support you. Please check out my website or reach out via phone/email if you are interested in working with me or have a referral in mind.

I offer therapy services to Colorodoans, in-person in Fort Collins or virtually across the state. My primary orientation is integrative, meaning I consider each individual as the embodiment of several systems. My style is compassionate, and non-judgmental, but I push people where they need to go when they need it.

I am informed by psychedelic-assisted therapy, depth psychology, but also more classical methods like dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). I also specialize in addiction recovery and have a trauma-focused lens.

My cash pay rate is $125, but I also accept a variety of insurances: Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, and some Colorado area Medicaid. Please reach out directly or via my phone (970) 272-1788 to chat and see if you’re a good fit for my practice.

Love this quote ❤️