We are very excited to welcome our newest counselor to the Cornerstone team, Lucas Bishop, M.Ed, LPCC, MFTC!
We had a cozy Christmas-themed chat where he shared all about his passion for working with couples and seeing change happen in real-time, how making meaning informs our lives, and how difficult it is to come up with a fun fact about yourself on the spot.
Read on to hear more from Lucas:
What drew you into the counseling field? Why did you become a therapist?
I wanted to become a counselor because I thought it would be an awesome opportunity to build relationships and walk alongside people. Life can be really hard, right? Christ talks about how there’s a narrow way and a broad way.
The broad way is easy to walk down but leads to destruction. It can be hard to live out the things I think Christ wants us to do, but I think it’s easier to do those hard things when you have someone to walk next to you.
There’s this really incredible study in emotionally focused work, which is rooted in attachment theory. In the study, people were given a heavy weighted backpack and then told to walk up a hill. Sometimes they walked with someone, and sometimes they walked alone. They interviewed each person after they returned and the people that were by themselves rated the hill higher and the weight on their back heavier than the people who weren’t alone.
I believe there’s something to that…when we are with people who care about us, we perceive the challenges in front of us as easier. And as a counselor, I want to be a stable presence to walk alongside my clients. I’m always thinking, how can I help?
And if I get an opportunity to shed light on a topic, then that’s incredible! (I need that in my own life!) We can get stuck in these loops. And sometimes I need someone from the outside to step in and say, ‘have you thought about it this way?’ And then I think, wow, that’s what I needed.
Along those lines, what types of clients do you love walking with?
I love couples work, and the fact that you’re getting to do the work in the room, right? In individual counseling, you implement the things that you learn in counseling outside of the counseling room. But in couples work, you get to practice in the room.
As a therapist, that’s really rewarding to experience. And I think it’s really encouraging for couples coming to therapy to see the change happening in real time. You’re paying for the session and it’s happening in that session.
I also love working with individuals. Specifically, I believe working with men is a really incredible opportunity. I think that our society can sometimes downplay the need for men to be emotionally intelligent and to be able to communicate their emotional needs and wants. Being a man, I understand that to a certain degree.
Counseling is generally a more female-dominated field, and while the female counselors I know do an incredible job, I know that it can be easier to talk to someone they feel will really understand their lived experience. So being able to create the space for men to be able to talk about what’s really on their heart and minds is very important to me.
What specific types of therapy modalities do you use?
I always come back to this: I love to work with people who are trying to make meaning out of different parts of their lives. I think I even called it ‘meaning-making’ in my specialties list. Life is so vast and beautiful and incredible. But we often have this feeling of being stuck. I think that’s a feeling that a lot of people can relate to.
And there are all these things in our lives that we can grasp hold of to try and make meaning. Sometimes we choose the wrong things to make meaning out of, right? Sometimes we cling to the wrong things and they become our identity. But when you discover the right things, it can be really incredible to discover new meaning and create some really lasting change in your life.
I mentioned emotionally focused therapy earlier–that’s my main modality. I think that the way that we attach to others is foundational. I think that we are constantly looking for connections. Whether it’s connecting with God, connecting with people, or connecting with ourselves, we’re constantly creating connections. And then breaking connections. And then repairing those connections.
I also enjoy existential counseling. That’s kind of an older form of counseling, developed out of some of the meaning-making studies that I was talking about. I think asking those deeper questions is really fascinating. I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about existential questions day to day, but when I slow down enough, it’s some of the most meaningful work I can do, and the answers give the most direction to my life.
So in counseling, if we can slow down enough to ask the deep questions, I think that can often lead to the most long-lasting change.
What’s a fun fact about you?
I feel like I’m terrible with fun facts (laughter)! I also feel like I’m terrible with superlatives…when anyone asks me “What’s your favorite ____” my brain goes, ‘Okay, let me think of everything that could possibly fit in that category, then sort it, and then have the answer…’ And a lot of times that’s not what people want. They just want anything fun!
Anyway, on the spot, how fun am I? Hmm…I love doing physical activities. I love to play basketball. I love to read. I’ve been reading a lot of fantasy book series recently. Brandon Sanderson just released a new book this month so I’ve been reading his books.
I think the thing that my wife and I do most consistently is go to concerts. We love to listen to live music, I think that music connects with me in a really deep way.
I think that there are a lot of things to be passionate about. And I love being around passionate people and then sort of, taking in some of that passion, right? It’s fun to do things with people when they really love to do that thing.
We’re excited to have Lucas on the team!
I wish you could have been in the conversation with us. We laughed, we talked about Christmas trees, and we shared about making meaning in our own lives. Lucas is warm, engaging, and always up for sharing a good book recommendation. If you’re looking for a counselor who will truly help you dive into the tough stuff with kindness, Lucas is your guy.
Lucas will be joining our team in Centennial and Castle Rock, offering after-work time slots and counseling for couples, individuals, teens, and families.
Click below to schedule your appointment, or request a free phone consult with Lucas:
