James Killian, LPC

My Journey Here There are defining moments in every person’s life. These moments come in a variety of ways. One of mine came on March 21, 2007 when I was involved in a car accident that, by all measures, I shouldn’t have survived. It was an unusual rainy day for Arizona and I was leaving a client’s office following a meeting. On the surface, my life seemed like a success. I had a six-figure job in financial services. I owned a beautiful home, drove a nice car and had money in the bank. But it was all feeding my ego and bank account, not my soul. I felt frustrated, lost, and hopeless. As I approached my car, a memory of the best compliment I had ever received came to mind. A coworker shook my hand as we parted ways and said, “You are meant to do great things. Go out and do them.” In that moment, guilt washed over me as I realized it had been two years and I still was not doing what I believed were “great things.” I thought to myself, “This isn’t what I’m supposed to be doing with my life.” Minutes later I pulled out into an empty lane of traffic. From out of nowhere came headlights at 50mph. A vehicle hit me on the driver’s side, knocking my car in the air, over the median and into oncoming traffic. I only recall bits and pieces of the moments that followed. I remember shivering on the stretcher in the road as rain poured down. I remember the cold, steel blades of the scissors as the paramedics cut my clothes off while they screamed at me not to move, telling me I likely had spinal damage. I remember laying in the ambulance, sliding around as the driver ferociously navigated traffic. I remember staring into the light on the roof in terror as I kept trying to wiggle my toes, thinking this would somehow prevent me from becoming paralyzed. At that moment I made a promise to myself; if I survive this, I would do those “great things.” This was my defining moment. Your Journey Here Now you are at a defining moment in your life – you’re here – looking for help, guidance, and support. Maybe something unexpected recently happened in your life and it’s thrown you for a loop. You’re not quite sure how to navigate through. Perhaps your mind is racing all the time, making it difficult for you to focus and accomplish your goals. Possibly your relationships are suffering because of this. Or maybe you simply just feel stuck and need someone to help guide you through this challenging phase of your life. I started Arcadian Counseling because I wanted to build something different. I wanted to create a practice that reflects my unique background and diverse set of skills. Prior to becoming a therapist, I spent 12 years in the corporate world. I enjoyed many of the challenges of corporate life, but it was never as rewarding as having someone look me in the eye, with tears of joy in theirs, and thank me for helping them change their life. What It’s Like To Work With Me Choosing the right therapist to help guide you through this moment in your life is an important decision. My goal is to help clients develop new skills and insights to improve the quality of their lives, relationships, and careers and move From Surviving To Thriving. My clients are typically high-functioning, motivated, resilient and committed to making changes in their lives. They value their time and as such, my approach is to implement a straightforward model for fast, effective results. In addition to my highly-tuned intuition, I integrate Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy techniques into my work. These highly effective and evidenced-based methods help to increase insight and awareness into what isn’t working, which opens the doors for change. I believe change occurs when the primary focus is on the goals for the future, not the pain and discomfort of today. Clients have described their experience with me as refreshingly honest and authentic, compassionate, focused and purpose-driven. I’m often told by clients, “This isn’t what I expected – but in a good way.” So, are you ready for your defining moment? Contact me today and let’s get to work.