Hi, my name is Joe, and I'm happy that you are looking into counseling. I believe that I can help you. I have nearly 30 years of counseling experience working with various populations. My specific treatment areas include treating depression, anxiety, behavioral issues, anger control problems and impulse control disorders. I became interested in therapy after I took my first Psychology class in college. It is fascinating to me trying to understand human thinking, feeling, and behavior, alone and with others. I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology(1986) and a Master of Arts degree in Mental Health/Rehabilitation Counseling(1993) from the University of South Florida. I am a licensed mental health counselor in Florida since 1997. For 12 years, I provided mental health services for children and teenagers with emotional and behavioral problems in the school system. Since 2004, I have had my own agency that provides mental health services and behavioral analysis services for the state of Florida's developmental disability program. I also provide mental health services for the elderly. For the last couple of years, I have provided telehealth therapy services for various populations.
My clients can expect that I will advocate for them and work diligently with them to achieve their treatment goals and treat them with respect and dignity. My first session with my client involves establishing rapport, gathering background information, completing a mental status exam, determining a diagnosis, and then setting a schedule for therapy, if necessary.
I think my biggest strenghts in providing therapy are my care and advocacy for my clients, and my experience providing these services for nearly 30 years. I do my best to help my clients get better, and it is very gratifying to me to see their progress.
My ideal client(s) are adults, children, teenagers, and the elderly who are in need of mental health assessments and services and behavioral analysis assessments and services.
I have used cognitive behavioral therapy throughout my career in working with various populations. Having clients examine and question their patterns of thinking and behavior is very effective in therapy.