LCSW, 15 years of experience
Welcome/Bienvenido/a! I'm Israel. I know it takes courage to reach out and ask for help and I praise you for that. Sometimes in life we all need someone to listen and accept us for who we are and where we are at this moment. Emotionally evolving after hard times is a gradual process but can be accomplished to allow you to meet your goals. I thank you for showing up for yourself. I am a Bilingual (English and Spanish) Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) based in California. I received my Masters in Social Work from Azusa Pacific University and have been in the mental health field for approximately 15 years. I have assisted and guided populations varying from children to older adults in their multiple environmental settings to accomplish their goals by allowing them to emotionally evolving after every challenge and to remind that evolving is a normal part of life and most importantly, it is possible, si se puede!
In our first session, I will listen without judgment and provide you with valuable information you may need/or ask to start your journey smoothly and less stressful. Knowledge is power! I will show support, empathy, and value your experiences that can help point us to see things in different ways. With your assistance we can brainstorm goals and other endless possibilities that lie out there for you. Most importantly, I will meet you where you are at.
Having the wide range of experience with the spectrum from childhood to older adults have given me a sense of how one thing can impact another and how it is possible to make it through a hard day. I am optimistic and realistic with what to expect in a therapeutic environment. I am willing and able to emotionally grow with those I am supporting. I am non-judgmental, patient, and love to empower others to meet their greatest potential in their life.
I enjoy being a part of the emotional rollercoaster that everyone uniquely experiences in life. I have worked with those who have difficulty understanding and/or dealing with a range of mental health challenges from anxiety, depression, impulse control, adjustments to changes, inattentiveness, behavioral concerns, relationship challenges, difficulties with establishing healthy boundaries, and finding unique ways to emotionally cope with stressors. Together we can attempt to turn a negative to a positive and brainstorm ways to accomplish those hurdles in life.
I've been using Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) primarily in my sessions to assist others to recognize how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors influence each other. By utilizing CBT, it will help decrease anxiety and depressive symptoms among other stressors that you can encounter in your day to day life.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is an approach that has benefited many to help reduce anxiety by practicing mindfulness to aid destress tolerance, emotional regulation, and interpersonal conflict that impairs someone's daily life functioning.
Being supportive and present in the moment of someone's grief has been the most important part of the grieving process. Psychoeducating someone on the 5 stages of grief as they experience the emotions has proven to better guide someone in making a new healthy lifestyle after a loved one has departed without making the grief process feel never ending.
Assisting others to explore their five senses (Touch, see, smell, hear, and taste) and taking them to the next level can help a person evolve from their current challenging moment in life to explore a realistic way of living a positive way of life.
It is easy to stay stuck in the past especially when when feel we can control everything in the world, however, we need to focus on what is already working, and how would you like your life to be, rather than focusing on the past and the origin of problems by brainstorming what works, challenges, and realistic solutions to solve your life's problems.