I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, with 7+ years experience providing psychotherapy and addiction counseling for a diverse and dynamic caseload of individuals whose lives are impacted by issues of trauma, shame, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, sexuality/sexual identity, relationship and work stress, and compulsive behaviors around sex, drug and alcohol and money. For the past 3+ years, I've worked in private for SF Therapy Collective, San Francisco's most recognized and respected LGBTTQIA+ therapy providers; In addition to my private practice, I work for the UCSF Department of Psychiatry and Zuckerberg SF General Hospital, providing counseling, intensive case management and crisis management for individuals diagnosed serious mental illness. I received my Bachelor's and Master's degree in Clinical Social Work from Portland State University. and completed a 2 year certification in addiction studies at City College San Francisco.
I work with adults 18-85. I have specialized training and extensive experience providing therapy for LGBTQ+ clients. Additionally, my practice focuses men's issues, addiction, non-tradional relationships, gender identity and sex therapy.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
My first session focuses on building rapport and instilling a sense of comfort and ease. I strive to create a space where client's know trust that they can speak openly and honestly about anything, without fear of judgement or shame. I want to understand what brings them to therapy and I will ask many questions, while offering time to expand and elaborate. Our first session is the opportunity to get to know each other. Client's are free to ask me questions. This collaborative session will hopefully result in a treatment plan that addresses the client's issues, identifies achievable goals, and charts the course for sessions to come.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
I am authentic, empathetic, compassionate and kind. I am genuinely interested what my client has to say and listen with intent to understand, and support them in their desire for growth.
About Lonnie Ferguson
Appointments
Free consults, virtual
My treatment methods
Attachment-based
Attachment is the foundation of my work with clients. It lies at the heart of the behaviors, thought patterns and coping skills we develop as adults. Healthy, supportive relationships enable us to develop a strong sense of who we are. When our early experiences with caregivers is one of responsiveness, security and safety, our parents/caregivers provided a secure base from which to explore the world around us safely and with assurance we had a secure place to return. We are able to form trusting relationships, develop positive coping skills, and become self-reliant when our childhood experiences were secure and safe. If our early experiences with parental figures was chaotic and unpredictable, or expressions of love, belonging, and safety were absent, or negative, we grow up feeling less confident in ourselves, less secure in our relationships, less trusting of our decision making. I work with clients to identify and change patterns of thinking and behavior that have become unhelpful or maladaptive. By exploring the past, we can address the issues manifesting in our present lives, changing the internal messages and operating instructions that no longer work.
Person-centered (Rogerian)
The person-centered model is the umbrella for all of my work with clients. It is grounded in the belief that each of us strives to fulfill our potential, and that the desire for personal growth and change is inherently human. In other words, we have the capacity to find our purpose in life and become the person we can be. Our self-concept (how we view ourselves) is shaped by the messages we internalized as children, the environment we grew up in, and what we experienced in this environment. If we are receive encouragement and support, and internalize messages that are positive, we are more likely to recognize our strengths and achieve our potential because we believe in ourselves. But for many of us, the messages we received and the environments and experiences we had were either mixed and confusing, or outright negative. Rather than encouraging our strengths, we learn to question, doubt or deny them. It is critical to me that I create an environment of trust and support. To allow you to fully express and explore anything that may be inhibiting, masking or distorting your inherent strengths. I view therapy as collaborative, understanding that you are the expert on your life, and I am here to facilitate self discovery, by acting as a guide, a trusted, reliable person, who listens, provides tools and identifies your strengths and that travels with you.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
CBT helps to identify thought patterns that often undermine our ability to make positive changes and provides tools to challenge and change self talk (what we tell ourselves about ourselves). CBT is an evidenced based therapy for treating addiction, depression, anxiety and low self esteem. One of the most studied therapeutic models out there. I utilize CBT to help clients find the root cause of the behavior, and provide tools to support change. Once we know why we are doing something, we can learn how to change it.
Mindfulness-Based Therapy
Mindfulness-Based Therapy is a fundamental tool for cultivating awareness of the present moment. Rather than ruminating on our past challenges, I utilize mindfulness and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) as way to bring attention to thoughts and feelings that arise in the moment. How and the physical sensations that accompany them. By bringing awareness to our thoughts and emotions, we can learn to manage and regulate them, rather than becoming overwhelmed and controlled by them. Mindfulness is often misunderstood as simply being meditation. While meditation is part of mindfulness, the practice of mindfulness is about bringing awareness to the present moment experience. As a tool for grounding, it can be as simple as noticing the rhythm of the breath or counting down from 10 to 1. Mindfulness-Based therapy has been extensively researched, is evidence based, and shown to be beneficial physically and mentally, managing symptoms of depression, anxiety, panic disorders, sleep disorders, and stress reduction. I have extensive training both personally and professionally in the practice of mindfulness. I have studied in California, Thailand and Nepal. And can attest to the benefits of integrating mindfulness based techniques into my life.
