Hi there. My name is Suzanne. I am a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor and a Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist in the state of North Carolina. I received my MA in Counseling Psychology from Marymount University, in Arlington, VA. In my 17-year career as a therapist, I have significant experience working with individuals dealing with mental health diagnoses as well as individuals with substance use disorders. I have extensive experience in a variety of therapeutic settings including experience as an Outpatient Therapist providing community-based mental health and substance use disorders counseling to adolescents, adults, and families. I have extensive experience working with adults with a variety of and severity of mental illnesses as a Community Support Team-Team Lead. I have worked with individuals who were court-ordered into substance use disorder treatment; those who would benefit from in-patient treatment for mental health and substance use disorders; and as a Counselor and Program Manager at a treatment center that provided individual and group counseling for patients receiving Medication-Assisted Treatment. More about me: I was born in North Carolina. At an early age, I moved to a tiny village in mid-Michigan. I've also lived in Virginia and Texas. I currently live in the country somewhere between Rocky Mount and Wilson, NC. I live with my two cats and my 15-year-old beagle. I enjoy swimming, reading, writing, animals (wild and domestic), music, and playing video games. I look forward to meeting you and working with you!
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
In our first session, we will introduce ourselves. If you have any questions about me, please feel free to ask. Then we will review the intake form as well as the questionnaires that you received. With the information derived from those forms, and other information collected, we will begin to identify preliminary therapy goals. We will then develop your treatment plan to work on during our future sessions.
What treatment methods and tools do you utilize?
If you are looking for an individual who has experience in a variety of service delivery settings, I believe you will find that my clinical experience will meet your needs. My therapeutic approach primarily utilizes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques, Reality Therapy, Person-Centered Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Mindfulness, and Solution-Focused Therapy. I use a mixture of these approaches in session, as no two clients are the same.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
I have been described as a caring, non-judgmental, real, honest, and open counselor. I like to use humor in sessions. During sessions, I will focus on helping you to identify your strengths and abilities to help you effectively determine your goals. Also, we will identify which of your challenges you feel is the more pressing of your concerns. I believe that the sessions are "your" sessions. If something has come up in your life that feels quite distressing, please bring it up during our session. My specialties include depression, anxiety, substance use disorders, bipolar disorder, LGBTQ+ concerns, issues with motivation, and building self-esteem. I also enjoy working with clients who struggle with posttraumatic stress disorder, workplace concerns, body image issues, chronic pain and disability, infidelity, self-harm, aging and geriatric Issues, communication concerns, and life purpose/life transitions