Ariel Perkins
So many of us feel like we struggle every day to survive through life. We might feel lost, unhappy, stressed or exhausted from constant overthinking or self-doubts. We go through the motions and cant seem to find as many enjoyable moments as we'd like or we cant figure out our purpose. Finding and accepting yourself is not always an easy task and sometimes we all need a little help or guidance. That's where I come in. I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 11 years of experience in the mental health and social work field. I have worked in many different settings helping people in all different walks of life. I've provided services over the years to ensure my clients basic needs are met, to feel better about themselves, and to manage their symptoms and emotions. Through personalized counseling services that are built on a foundation of empathy, strength and acceptance, we will walk this path together to embrace your true self and the life you want to live.
My biggest strength is being authentic and real with my clients and being able to understand their perspectives.
First session
During our sessions together, I want you to feel welcome and give you a safe place to express yourself. I want to guide you through figuring out your specific goals, and finding self-acceptance and compassion. To start, I'll briefly explain my therapy practice and go over important information and policies. I can then answer any questions you have about my education, experience or treatment methods. We can also discuss what future sessions will look like. From there, we'll talk about what you are experiencing in your life and what you have experienced in the past. The focus of our first session is to figure out if I'm the right therapist for you and to identify your goals for therapy. You are the writer of your own story and I will do everything that I can to help you write one that you find enjoyable and worth living.
Strengths
Over the years I've strengthened my ability to understand and empathize with many different perspectives. This helps me to help my clients feel comfortable and not judged. My biggest strength is being authentic and real with my clients and being able to understand their perspectives. I want you to feel accepted for who you are. My approach is direct and I wont fill our sessions with fluff or nonsense. I value the time and work you put into yourself and happiness.
Ideal clients
With over 10 years of experience working directly with adults, I have strengthened my ability to connect with different personalities and perspectives, ensuring that each client is met with compassion and understanding. I specialize in working with adults struggling with anxiety, self-doubts, low self-esteem, mood regulation and challenging behaviors. I help my clients embrace themselves and learn new strategies to accept and process their emotions, challenge negative self-talk, manage difficult symptoms, and reach their personalized goals.
Treatment methods
Supportive
Supportive therapy has been the foundation of my practice since I started within the mental health field. Using this approach helps to explore and increase your self-compassion and self-acceptance as well as build on your own personal strengths to help you embrace yourself and live a life worth living.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
I began my training in the components of Dialectical Behavior Therapy approximately 6 years ago. I utilize techniques of DBT in personalized sessions to guide you through finding and practicing the skills and activities that will benefit different areas of life including understanding the connection between your emotions, thoughts, and behaviors, being mindful and living in the moment, and your relationships and communication.
Trauma Informed Care
Since 2015 I have been trained in the area of Trauma Informed Care to better understand the impact our environments and experiences have on our lives, from how we view and think about ourselves to interacting with others and how we live our current lives. Including this understanding and awareness in my practice has helped those that I work with to build their acceptance and love for themselves and to realize their own goals and the path to reaching them.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I use CBT to treat symptoms of anxiety, depression, and trauma. First helping my clients to understand their diagnosis and symptoms, and then understanding the impact on their thoughts and emotions. CBT helps clients to make the connection between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It also helps to learn new strategies to challenge negative thoughts, manage or regulate emotions, and increase positive behaviors.
Motivational Interviewing
Motivation Interviewing can be used to treat many different disorders and symptoms. I typically combine MI strategies into most session to ensure I'm actively listening to my clients to provide validation and empathy and help them to increase their motivation for change.
Location
Virtual sessions
Identifies as
White
Woman
Top specialties
Anxiety
Self Esteem
Trauma and PTSD
Other specialties
Coping Skills
Life Transitions
Peer Relationships
Serves
Adults (18 to 64)
Individual Therapy
Doesn't specialize in
Autism
Child or Adolescent
Couples Counseling
Couples Counseling
Family Therapy
Family Therapy
Grief
Medication Management
Licensed in
ConnecticutLicense 58.013306