Hi! I'm a Licensed Professional Counsellor (LPC) based in Pennsylvania. I received my Masters in Counseling Psychology from Immaculata University and have been practicing for 12 years. I specialize helping people struggling with anger, anxiety, depression and bipolar disorder, and I have also been successful treating couples and families and people whose lives have been impacted by trauma, as well as neurodivergent people struggling to fit into a neurotypical world.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
Our first session together will start with brief introductions, and then I will collect a concise but complete history of your concerns and what you want your life to look like when you have successfully completed your therapy. From there, we will work together to create a treatment plan tailored to your specific needs and the challenges you're facing, to get you on the road to your desired outcome.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
This is my third career. My first was in law enforcement as a State Trooper and my second was as a curriculum editor for the University where I obtained my Master’s degree. The unique combination of experiences from those jobs and life experiences learned along the way raising a family, have afforded me opportunities to deal with people from all walks of life. The result is a stubborn refusal to give up before all avenues are explored. I wear this stubbornness as a badge of honor and bring it with me to every session with every client, no matter what their issues may be.
About Vicki Shay
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VirtualMy treatment methods
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
I hold a current certification in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT.) I have been successful using DBT to treat people with intense emotions and mental health conditions to help them accept reality, change maladaptive behaviors and learn skills to cope with stress and crises.
EMDR
I have successfully used EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) for the past six years. I find it to the most effective way to treat trauma and PTSD by carefully helping clients focus on the traumatic memory while experiencing bilateral stimulation (such as eye movements) to reduce the vividness and emotion associated with the memories.
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
I find Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to be a very practical approach that focuses on helping people accept difficult thoughts, feelings, sensations, and internal experiences while guiding them to commit to values-based actions.