Hello. I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), and have been providing mental health services full time as a licensed professional in the state of Indiana for the past 6 years. I have enjoyed a variety of experiences over the course of my career serving homeless teenagers and families, caring for individuals with mental and physical disabilities in group homes, facilitating substance abuse groups, working with children, adults, and geriatric patients in the inpatient setting, and engaging in individual mental health counseling. The most impactful education I've received has been from my patients. I strive to meet people where they are, and move at their own pace to meet the goals they have for themselves.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
Meeting someone new can be anxiety-provoking, especially when sharing personal information. Our first session will be an intake where we learn more about each other. I'll ask questions about your current symptoms or concerns, the mental and physical health histories of yourself and your family, and other demographic information. We will also complete screening tools to identify the severity of current symptoms and make sure that we know what we are treating. We'll discuss your goals for therapy and establish a frequency for session follow ups. Patients are welcome to share as little or as much as they want to. I won't know everything the first time we meet. Feel free to open up more as your comfort level increases over the course of time.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
Each patient has their own therapeutic needs. I work hard to see the person, and personalize treatment to patient's specific needs. I want patients to feel confident in themselves, and not live by a label or stigma associated with a diagnosis. The diagnosis is not what's important, addressing the related symptoms that are bothering the patient are.