Hi, I am Coleia, and I am so pleased that you are here! Are you looking for a safe, humorous space to be affirmed and heard? If so, read on! As a licensed clinical social worker in the state of Maryland and Washington D.C., I practice with a client-centered focal point, where the client leads the sessions while I provide support and guidance throughout. I believe in full autonomy and self-determination of my clients because change comes through the work of us together, with you as the pilot. Think of yourself as the athlete and me as your coach! We will work together to create a realistic game plan with tips, tricks, and strategies to ensure that you are on the path to living your best life! Assisting my clients through issues such as life changes, trauma, anxiety, depression and others, I am experienced, ready, and willing to assist you with whatever it is you may need. Born and raised in Maryland, I grew up around individuals from multiple ethnicities, which allows me to be comfortable speaking with anyone! Something unique about me is that I am multiracial. I am also a part of a multicultural sorority, highlighting the importance of cultural sensitivity to me. My childhood greatly impacts my practice and allows me to empathize with diverse experiences and people. These experiences motivated me to become a therapist, and I work tirelessly to be the resource I needed in my life, which could make me a great resource for you!
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
When working with me, clients can expect to feel seen, heard, and safe. You will learn coping skills and have great conversations to identify both the functional and dysfunctional patterns in your life. From there, we will be able to investigate how your dysfunctional patterns were once adaptive in your life, honor what these patterns did successfully for you, and then adapt them to meet the needs of your current lifestyle. We will bolster your current strategies and you will learn why other strategies may feel good but may not be helpful in the long run. Overall, education, skills, and empathy are what you can expect to take away from our work together.
What treatment methods and tools do you utilize?
I mainly practice through a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) lens, where we investigate your thoughts and behaviors to identify what is causing you issues in your life, although I am familiar with multiple therapeutic modalities. Through this CBT focus, I wholeheartedly believe in mindfulness, which is a state of being where you focus on what is occurring in the moment, all while being nonjudgmental. I also practice with a trauma focused viewpoint. I believe that everyone has some form of trauma, whether it is personal or environmental, and as such, a clinician should always be mindful of this when engaging with clients.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
Having worked with children, adolescents, and adults, I believe I am able to work with any population, being knowledgeable with all the different nuances of each life stage. As my client, your overall wellness is my main priority, as I just want you to be able to live your best life and I believe that you can, no matter your current situation. The safe, nonjudgmental space that I create is definitely one of my strengths. With research finding that the biggest catalyst for change is the relationship between the client and the therapist, I create the environment necessary to complete the work together. Coupled with my humor, lack of judgment, and empathy, I truly believe that this is the space in which your personal change will occur.