I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor who is certified in addiction treatment. I have been working in a community mental health center for the past 8 years. I have served a variety of populations including those suffering from pervasive mental illness, anxiety, and severe depression. For 3 years I was the therapist for Adult Drug Court in Nassau County, helping those previously incarcerated for drug use charges to overcome addiction and rebuild their lives within the community. I currently serve on the Crisis Response team for my agency which intervenes during mental health crisis and am the Clinical Team Leader for the Care Coordination Program which helps to identify people before a crisis occurs so they can be attached to all the resources they need. I am additionally working on my certification to provide services to First Responders.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
First sessions are identifying symptoms, goals, and building trust. What does the individual want to get out of therapy? Have they had therapy before and how did it go? What brings them to therapy? How will they know it worked for them or what are their expectations for therapy?
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
I am very calm, kind, and provide a peaceful atmosphere. I am encouraging but honest. I believe that I am able to balance support with little nudges towards growth.
About Alissa Cook
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Appointments
VirtualMy treatment methods
Christian Counseling
I have been providing Christian based counseling for 8 years, pairing my knowledge of counseling with my knowledge of Scripture to support individuals in their emotional and spiritual health.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
Over the past 6 years I have been integrating DBT techniques into my practice with individuals to help them learn skills to improve their emotional regulation and distress tolerance. For 3 years I led a DBT based skills group to help individuals walk through emotional regulation, distress tolerance, mindfulness practices, and interpersonal relationships. I believe that we all, no matter our level of emotional and interpersonal health, could benefit from practicing DBT skills.
Gestalt
I have been using Gestalt throughout my training and professional practice the past 10 years. The primary goal is to enhance your awareness of your whole self, expand your perspective, and rethink limiting perceptions that are holding you back. It focuses on the "here and now" rather than letting the past define you. I have found that it fosters a healthy rapport and increases our awareness of behaviors we cannot see but others do.
Motivational Interviewing
The goal of motivational interviewing it to allow the individual to lead the session through their own motivations rather than feeling pressure from their therapist who determines what is "most important" to work on first. It is person-centered, meaning that you are guiding your treatment, and I am just their as an active supporter. As you identify where you feel motivated, I provide strategies that help you achieve your goals. Think of it as a trainer. You tell me that you want abs and then I give you strength exercises that target those muscle groups. We will identify strengths as we go and guide you back to positive change when you become discouraged. I have utilized this practice for 6 years.