(She/her)
My name is Sydney HarkRuiz, and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and have been in the field of mental health for over ten years and have worked in a multitude of settings. I have provided individual, family, couples, and group therapy as well as clinical supervision to new associates. First, I would like to say how brave it is that you are seeking therapy at this time. This is such a courageous yet empowering first step in your healing journey. I am a down to earth, open, non-judgmental, and compassionate person who sees people for who they are versus their thoughts and behaviors. My goal is to create a warm, honest, and trusting therapeutic relationship and create a space where clients feel comfortable to express their true feelings and work through challenges that they have avoided for too long. I long to help clients heal from past hurts, work through dysfunctional patterns, and heal their personal hang ups. I am a very straightforward, yet compassionate therapist that aims to provide you a place to heal and process whatever it is that brings you to therapy.
During the first session we will review informed consent and confidentiality rules. I will spend time getting to know you and what is bringing you to therapy and your goals for therapy. I will also love to learn things that you expect from your therapist and any past experiences with therapy that you benefited from and things that you did not find helpful so that we can start our therapeutic relationship off to a good start. I will also answer any questions you may have about the therapeutic process or relationship.
My greatest strengths are my relatability to clients and my diverse experience working with all different populations and utilizing evidence based practices and newer practices such as Brainspotting. Some of my experience includes working in a level 14 group homes with both girls and boys where I have engaged with crisis de-escalation techniques, working with the severely mentally ill population and unhoused and incarcerated individuals. and working at CPS as well as personally being a foster parent. I have also worked with children ages 0-21 in an outpatient therapy clinic and engaged in family therapy and working with parents on parenting issues as well as in inpatient settings with first responders and veterans, and the native population that struggled with addiction. Furthermore, I have also worked with individuals with diverse backgrounds, cultural diversity and individuals who identify with the LGBTQ community. I am strongly trauma informed and incorporate this approach in all my treatment techniques.
My ideal client is someone who is open and ready to dive into themselves with another person (me). I would like to learn about them and their past and how it affects them personally and the impact on their functioning today. I would like someone who is ready to dive deep in order to heal and is ready to live more fully in the present moment and enjoy their life today. I would like a client who is reliable, yet flexible and understands that I am a human being also. I desire a client who is ready to do the work it takes to heal which is honesty and most importantly vulnerability. I love working with solution oriented clients and clients who are looking for solutions rather than dwelling on the problems and reliving them over and over. My ideal client is You!
Cognitive Processing (CPT)
Cognitive Processing Therapy is an evidence based form of talk therapy that I utilize in my practice to help client's who feel stuck or controlled by thoughts and feelings surrounding traumatic events that have occurred in their life. Cognitive Processing Therapy can help client's change the way they think about and view their traumatic experiences and the world around them. I utilize this form of therapy to help client's break free from the negative thinking patterns, guilt, shame, and viewing the world as a scary place which could be impacting client's symptoms of anxiety, depression, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. In my work with client's this form of therapy can support their understanding of how their thoughts and beliefs about their traumatic experiences affect their emotions and behavior. Together we help client's create more balanced and realistic thoughts and beliefs and heal from their traumatic experiences. Cognitive Processing therapy has been shown to be a very effective treatment for people with a trauma history or PTSD, anxiety, and depression and I find it very essential to my practice.
Brainspotting
I utilize Brainspotting in my clinical practice to support clients access and process trauma, emotional pain, and deeply rooted experiences that may not be fully accessible through traditional talk therapy. By using the clients visual field to identify "brainspots" connected to stored emotional material; clients are able to process and release distress in a mindful and contained way. Grounding, mindfulness, and somatic awareness techniques are all utilized to support regulation and promote healing both emotional and physiological levels.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in my sessions to support clients in identify negative thoughts and maladaptive thinking patterns and collaboratively create new positive thoughts and helpful ways of thinking. This therapeutic approach supports clients experience relief from negative thoughts which can lead to cognitive distortions, depressive symptoms, symptoms of anxiety, and negative self-image.
Eclectic
In my clinical practice, I use an eclectic approach by utilizing elements from multiple therapeutic modalities based on each client's unique needs. preferences, and goals in therapy. I integrate evidence-based techniques from several therapeutic practices which allows me to tailor interventions to the individual and maneuver as their needs change and evolve throughout the treatment process.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
I use Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) with clients to support in identifying maladaptive behaviors, teaching new replacement behaviors, build skills in mindfulness, tolerating distressful situations, emotional regulation, and increase interpersonal effectiveness within their relationships with others. I integrate these tools to support clients in managing intense emotions and developing a more balanced approach to their thoughts and behaviors.