Are you tired of just surviving through life? Do you miss the joy of fulfillment or the freedom of fully embracing all that life has for you? Do you miss being able to just be you? I am here for you and with you. My name is Michael Whiteside, and I am a compassionate, communal, and comedic Licensed Clinical Social Worker dedicated to helping others regain control of their life and living life to the fullest. Together, we will partner in helping you have a life worth living by understanding how the pain of the past is interrupting the present and jeopardizing the future. Pain looks different for everyone. Whether anxiety, depression, racial trauma, life transitions, or racial identity challenges, our work begins when you show up. There is not any other requirement for therapy with me, except that you give yourself permission to be fully engaged in our work. Life has so much more for you. Give yourself back that freedom and let's get started.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
In our first session, I focus on getting to know you in a way that allows you to feel comfortable to share as much or as little as your feel safe enough to share. Together, we will discuss the current challenges, how these challenges are affecting you, generalizable approaches that may best serve you, goals for our work together, and things to celebrate your progress along the way. I ask that you simply just show up, we can develop the rest together. Please be open and we can make real strides towards healing.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
Self-awareness, openness, empathy, and trust are the foundational factors to make therapy effective. Other aspects strengthen this foundation, but those are aspects that can develop within the therapeutic relationship. The biggest strength, for me, is your willingness to show up. When you show up, the healing can begin. Therapy can be uncomfortable but the courage to show up makes a world of a difference. Self-awareness, openness, empathy, trust, and a willingness to show up will make the therapy process effective and the healing meaningful.