LPCC, 14 years of experience
New to Grow
My name is Andrea Montano and I'm a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor with over 15 years of experience working in the mental health field. My purpose and passion are inviting others into the process of transformation through greater authenticity, awareness, and choice. My therapeutic approach is to provide support and practical feedback to help clients effectively address personal life challenges. Additional training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Trauma Focused CBT, and Cognitive Processing Therapy. I work with adolescents and adults to navigate the challenges of emotion dysregulation, anxiety, depression, boundary setting, and develop healthy communication patterns. After clients have told their story and why they’ve chosen to commit to therapy, themes will be addressed then narrowed down to specific goals to target. I am a down-to-earth, respectful, open-minded person using an empathetic approach to assist an individual with the relief of symptoms and sort through stressors while practicing effective coping skills.
You can expect a safe, non-judgment zone to openly share your concerns with me. We will work together to develop a plan for you to be able to walk away from your sessions with tools to feel better.
I have experience in supporting my clients through their everyday stressors to help them enjoy their lives on a daily basis by improving coping skills and relationships
I am best able to serve clients that are ready to jump into an active process to change their lives. My skills are suited for people struggling with depression, anxiety, or the lingering effects of trauma. I am also well suited for clients seeking help to address poor self image or self esteem, including self hatred.
As a practitioner with a strong foundation in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), I utilize this well-established, evidence-based approach into my practice to help individuals understand the interconnection between their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. My approach with CBT is structured and goal-oriented, focusing on challenging and changing unhelpful cognitive distortions and behaviors, improving emotional regulation, and developing personal coping strategies that target solving current problems. I employ key techniques such as cognitive restructuring to help clients identify and challenge negative thought patterns, and behavioral activation to encourage engagement in activities that are mood enhancing and fulfilling. Through skillful questioning and a collaborative therapeutic relationship, I guide clients in exploring and reshaping their thought processes, leading to a more positive behavior change and improved emotional well-being. By incorporating these techniques, I empower my clients to become their own therapists, equipping them with the tools to cope with current difficulties and to preempt future challenges.
I utilize a trauma-informed therapy approach that recognizes how past experiences shape our present lives. I emphasize safety, choice, and collaboration while helping clients build on their existing strengths and coping skills. I support clients in understanding their responses to trauma, developing new tools for managing triggers, and working towards healing at their own pace.
This approach focuses on family strengths and solutions rather than focusing on family problems. The family therapist helps family members identify solutions to problems and set goals to work towards those solutions. This approach encourages family members to build on their strengths rather than focusing on family members' weaknesses.
This type involves spouses or romantic partners engaging in family therapy. Marriage counseling can be a helpful approach to address various issues that couples may face, such as communication breakdowns, infidelity, mental health concerns, emotional distancing, cultural differences, challenges with sexual intimacy, financial stress, and lack of trust. When couples acknowledge these issues and decide to seek counseling, family therapists can help them develop healthier communication patterns, improve their listening skills, and resolve conflict more constructively.