LCSW, 10 years of experience
Welcome, I am Virginia and it is so nice to meet you! Thank you for taking this first step in feeling better, I believe this is the hardest one because people generally don't wake up one morning and desire to include a stranger in on their most personal thoughts, beliefs, feelings, and troublesome behaviors. It can be overwhelming, we can work together to find the right flow that works for you.
In our first session together, we'll start with brief introductions, then dive into the specific challenges you're facing while I complete your assessment. This will help guide our work together. Sessions can go however you would like my aim is to see that you experience some relief and feel heard in this session.
My greatest strengths as a provider are having worked through some of my own personal issues with things like being raised in home with alcohol/drug addiction, losing a child, making many of my own mistakes along the way and then learning that all of our suffering is common. That has morphed over the years into a desire to help others with those deep pains (not always evident) that seem to hold us back, preventing us from moving forward, the pains from our pasts that continue to haunt us or keep us from making decisions that can help our lives.
My clients have generally been struggling with a situation/feeling/behavior for some time, trying solutions but feel dissatisfied with any real change, ready to try new things, engage in new ways, and learn new information because they are sick and tired of how these difficulties are showing up in their lives (relationships, work environments, home and family life or general dissatisfaction and zero motivation).
I became interested in CBT while in school and it is a favorite that I continue to use as it offers a lot of help in understanding the way our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are all interrelated.
I am very interested in trauma informed care and have extensive training in trauma informed care including CCTP I and II. I am also currently receiving additional training with integration therapy for psychedelics in trauma therapy in addition to somatic therapy.
Most people are looking for relief from an uncomfortable feeling when they seek treatment, solution focused brief therapy is quick and offers additional angles to help look at your struggles.