New to Grow
Hello, my name is Ebony and I specialize in women's mental health. I have over 14 years in the social work field, working with diverse populations in various settings. I have 6 years providing clinical work to individuals, families and groups. Currently, I help women just like you who may be a single mom or professional woman that is struggling with anxiety, depression, work-life balance, parenting issues, interpersonal issues, life transitions, and stress.
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
In our first session you can expect a warm and inviting space where you can be free to inform me of what brought you into therapy and what you feel you need from therapy. You will be able to also ask any questions that you may have. This first session will also, allow for us to get to know one another a little better and to ease any worry you might have had about going to or getting back into therapy. And lastly our first session can help discuss goals you want to work on and formulate a treatment plan in future session(s).
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
My greatest strength is that not only do I have clinical education and training, but I also have lived experiences and can relate to the women I serve which helps to build rapport and trust. I am down to earth, relatable and non-judgmental. I use evidence-based practices such as CBT, DBT, person centered and strength-based approaches to help women overcome past trauma, improve emotion regulation, boundaries and overall mental well-being. By utilizing these approaches, I am able to build rapport, trust and a healthy therapeutic collaborative relationship with the women I have served and serve, which enables them to receive the care they need and improve their mental health.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
I am best positioned to serve women, who are facing various challenges like anxiety, depression, women’s issues, parenting, life-transitions, work-life balance, and relationship problems. The women I work with are tired of silently carrying a heavy load, putting on a "strong" front, and who are in need of being seen, empowered, and uplifted. They are ready to take the next step to start their healing and wellness journey.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I use CBT to help clients discover thinking errors which can lead to anxiety, depression and reactive behaviors. Together, we learn how thoughts, emotions and behaviors are connected and how to reframe negative thoughts to improve their mental health and behavioral responses.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
In my work I have found that people struggle to manage stress, interpersonal issues and emotion regulation. I have used DBT to help clients improve their distress tolerance skills, improve boundaries, communication and relationships with others and improve their ability to process and express their emotions in a safe and healthy way.
Person-centered (Rogerian)
I hold a safe and judgement free space where clients are free to be their authentic selves. I empower clients to take the lead in their lives and decision making, as I often tell them that they are the expert of their lives and I am a support to assist where needed. I collaborate with my clients on treatment goals, and what they would like to work on or discuss during their sessions.
Psychoeducation
I use psychoeducation to teach actionable skills, such as stress management, problem-solving, and boundary setting. I educate my client on the science and evidenced based practices that I use to help them understand the "why" behind the usage, for example I explain why deep breathing is a helpful tool to use for decreasing anxiety as it helps to turn on the parasympathetic response that helps to calm and regulate our nervous system and get us out of the fight, flight, freeze (stress state/sympathetic) response. I also assign homework, if client is willing to assist with putting tools into practice and to monitor progress.
Strength-Based
Sometimes clients struggle to see their strengths and often times focus primarily on their weaknesses and mistakes. I use strength-based approach to help clients identify, celebrate and utilized their inherent strengths to overcome present day challenges, reflect on past challenges and how they overcame them, and build resilience, confidence and self-esteem.