New to Grow
Welcome! I am Stephanie, an experienced licensed counselor (LMHC), serving Massachusetts and Florida! I've been counseling for 16 years, and professionally licensed for 7. I have recently transitioned to telehealth. I have experience counseling individuals of various cultural backgrounds, including Latinx, as I speak Spanish as a second language. My counseling style is person-centered, allowing the client to lead the way in therapy. Beyond that, I use different approaches in counseling, depending on the needs and presentation of the client. Some people want to be active in their treatment and do "homework" in between sessions, such as journaling or activity logs. Others feel too busy or overwhelmed for "homework" and prefer to simply work things out in weekly sessions together. I will never force you to do any work you are uncomfortable with, or not ready for. You are the one in charge of your therapeutic journey. I will follow your lead in setting your goals, and offer support and guidance along the way, as much or as little as you would like. I am always open to hearing from my clients, and welcome open and honest feedback in our sessions.
Seeking counseling can feel overwhelming, and emotional even. I typically begin the first intake session by validating your present goal of seeking counseling as being checked off - you made it this far - this is the first step to change! We will spend this first session getting to know each other. I will gather your history, reason for seeking counseling at this time, and any goal(s) you have for therapy. I will invite you to ask me any questions you might have about therapy or what to expect in the counseling process, going forward. - No two clients are the same, and there is no single "right way" to be or act in therapy, as long as you come with an open mind and communicate honestly and openly with me, you will do great! I am always learning, and I never feel like I "know it all" or "have all the answers." I do have knowledge about tools that can be used in your everyday life that can help make you feel better, help you think more positive thoughts, and in turn help you to live your best life! If this feels like a good fit for what you're looking for, I invite you to take that next step, and schedule a free 15-minute consultation. If you have any questions for me before scheduling, please reach out and call/text/email, whenever you're ready, and I will be happy to answer any questions you have!
I believe the client is the leader in their own therapeutic journey. I honor my clients as authors of their own story, and I follow their lead as to what goals they have in mind for themselves, and tailor my therapeutic interventions to that which might best suit them, accordingly. I see the relationship between therapist and client as a collaborative partnership. Delivering empathy and unconditional positive regard for my clients is a priority, no matter what they have done or what they are going through. Research has shown that the Alliance between therapist and client is the strongest predictor of success in therapy. Therefore, I prioritize building a strong therapeutic relationship based on trust and mutual connection over a strict therapeutic modality. That being said, I often use CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) alongside Mindfulness to help clients who want to change negative thought patterns into more positive ones, so they can in turn improve how they feel and act, ultimately improving quality of life. I often incorporate Motivational Interviewing in my sessions, particularly if clients are struggling with feeling ambivalent or complacent to change potentially dangerous or risky habits in their lives. Depending on the client and what they communicate to me, I may not be as structured with my approach. The main component I always try to bring to my therapy sessions is Unconditional Positive Regard for my clients, no matter what - meaning that I welcome my clients to a safe space to discuss issues and goals without judgement, no matter what the issues are or what the clients may have done. In this space, my clients are met with empathy and never judgement. I consider counseling a "collaboration," because the client typically reaches their goals with a mutually agreed upon partnership between the therapist and client, coupled with a willingness on the client's part to do the work to achieve their goals, both by attending sessions faithfully, and also by doing any work between sessions for growth, as discussed together.
I work with adults and teenagers who are experiencing school or work stress, relationship challenges, or various life changes and transitions. I specialize in helping people who are feeling "stuck" to become empowered to change the way they think and act, so they will in turn feel better. Some examples include those attending college or university, those experiencing job stress or those involved with family conflict.
Life Transitions
Peer Relationships
School Issues
ADHD
Anxiety
Child or Adolescent
Woman
Adults (18 to 64)
Elders (65 and above)
Teenagers (13 to 17)
Massachusetts
Arlo
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I often use CBT alongside Mindfulness to help my clients change negative thought patterns into more positive ones, so they will in turn improve their behavior, and then their life and how they feel! Led with a Person-centered approach, I often suggest that clients with negative thoughts or feelings keep a thought log, which can help them pinpoint where and when these negative thoughts or feelings are coming from, and then I guide them gently to reframe the negative thoughts with more positive thoughts.
Mindfulness-Based Therapy
I often incorporate mindfulness with other tools to help clients focus on the present without judgement. I encourage people to stay mindful and aware of every act they do, on a sensory level, even outside the counseling sessions, focusing on physical sensations and deliberate mindfulness without self-judgement. I encourage clients who are interested in practicing Mindfulness to leave the past in the past, the future in the future, and to just focus on the present, and the physical sensations of "here and now', centering on present thoughts and goals.
Christian Counseling
When I have clients who are interested in Christian based counseling, I typically incorporate CBT and/or Mindfulness with prayer or Biblical Scripture, as requested/agreed to by the client. I always lead sessions with a Person-centered approach, allowing for the client to choose which activities they are open to and those they may not be. As a Christian therapist, I am always open to incorporating faith based conversation and healing tools in therapy sessions, but I only do so if a client requests faith-based counseling. In this case, I would weave Christian counseling into each session, so it naturally flows with Spiritual aspects of your life, and integrate things like prayer, Scripture reading, and/or Christian meditation in our sessions.
Person-centered (Rogerian)
Research shows that the therapeutic relationship between therapist and client is the single most determinant as to the success of the client's outcome in therapy - building a professional therapeutic relationship based on trust, unconditional positive regard, and led with empathy are the hallmarks of how I use a person-centered approach in my counseling sessions. This is the single most utilized method of therapy in my practice, and is combined with other modalities. This is the heartbeat of my therapeutic style.