Mignon Hooper
LCSW, 15 years of experience
New to Grow
About me
Que Sí. Hablamos Español para servirles bien, especialmente en esta epoca de locura ! I’m Bilingual/ Bi-cultural and have over 20 years of experience (15+ licensed). Grateful for my brilliant Smith College Social Work mentors, my learning via mission work in Central America, reciprocal mentoring of new Therapists, and ongoing bilingual volunteerism with the Red Cross. My evidence-based treatment honors intersections of identity and lived experiences unique to each client. Your healing and wellbeing are my priority, and the reason why I chose this second career. Are you ready to take the next step (to leave fear, pain, shame, etc, behind) ? It can be a little scary. AND . . . you are absolutely worth it. I am innovative and creative, committed to my personal growth, especially in areas aligned with my values. Culturally sensitive , inclusive , honoring the inherent dignity and worth of ALL humans (no exceptions), affirming and supporting disenfranchised communities, mindful use of language, and respectful engagement that embodies a healthy curiosity, and a willingness to learn from you, about you, ALL express who I strive to become on a daily basis.
Get to know me
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
Our first session can unfold in ways that accommodate/facilitate your need for a sense of comfort and safety, while ensuring that we attend to some of the essential information required, and co-create space for us to learn more about each other. To that end, if you would like to undermine the stress of feeling like too much information is required during the initial session, we can look at having you provide that information prior to our initial session, if you like. Ultimately, it is about creating ease, not adding to your stress level.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
My clients appreciate my capacity for insight. They value feeling seen, heard and understood. They enjoy my whacking sense of humor, while understanding the seriousness of this work, and our journey together. They respect that we are learning, healing and becoming our best individual selves, TOGETHER. They know that I am invested, that I care, and that that will not change. I have had very young children tell their Moms “Why can’t we go back and see the lady with the braids ( or the lady who’s chocolate ). She’s nice, and she likes us.”
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
Clients who desire to gain knowledge, insight, learn assessment and problem-solving skills, to identify, and resolve, unproductive thought patterns, and behavior cycles with predictable negative outcomes, are likely to be an IDEAL match for me. Clients who recognize that their input is essential in this solution-focused partnership, and that goal attainment simply cannot happen, unless we each commit to doing our part, are folks I am even more EAGER to serve.
Specialties
Top specialties
Other specialties
I identify as
Serves ages
My treatment methods
Attachment-based
Long before mental health professionals became clinically invested in understanding attachment theory to support psychotherapy clients' understanding of the origins of the mood-related challenges they face, it was already one of the most widely used, influential theories for understanding basic human development. Attachment theory is a unique way to understand the significance of our need for a unconditional source loving, nurturing connection that mirrors/ reflects back to us our goodness, our worthiness, our lovable nature, and gifts and potential. Aa to rather to help us all understand everything that is taking place in present time, has to have an origin story, a cause, a starting place. Addressing the need for healing, while learning to thoughtfully respond, rather than impulsively reacting may be one way to understand DBT.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
Whether maximizing the utility of the whole of DBT, or just applying a few of the strategic interventions where applicable, it is an awesome way to support clients in understanding difficulties with self-regulation of intense emotions, somatic reactivity, and their impact on relational dynamics (how we are as social beings). What seems to help clients most is improved self-understanding and learning that they have the ability to use DBT skills to take their power back, and choose to create different interpersonal experiences and outcomes. It's A-MAZING !
Trauma Informed Care
Trauma is not about hoe everyone else defines it, but how specific events in our individual lives impact our functioning and our quality of life. Some people may dismiss events as not traumatic, while others may experience something similar and know that they will never be the same. TIC is a way to help clients teach us about your unique experience and its impact on the quality of your life now. The severity of the impact will help us prioritize what to tackle and how.
Integrative
In the external world, one size does not fit all. The same is true for our internal world. You can't successfully bake a cake using only one ingredient. We are multi-faceted, complex beings with unique histories, herstories, and theirstories dictating that using multi-modality approach (more than one ingredient for our recipe) supports comprehensive healing and wholeness.