Hi, I'm John, a licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Florida and a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) in Michigan. As an integrative Cognitive Behavioral Therapist (CBT), I draw on a variety of therapeutic modalities to support and empower you on your journey of self-discovery and growth. Together, we will explore the path that brought you to where you are today and work collaboratively to identify the shifts in thinking, communication, and behavior needed to help you achieve your personal goals.
In our first session, we will begin by discussing confidentiality to ensure you feel safe and secure in sharing your story. Ample time will then be provided for you to explain the reasons that brought you to treatment. This will be paired with basic assessment questions to gain a clear understanding of your current situation and develop a comprehensive, well-rounded view of who you are and how best to support you.
My greatest strengths lie in my genuine desire to truly understand who you are as an individual, my ability to listen attentively for as long as necessary to ensure you feel heard and validated, and my commitment to providing what you need to grow and thrive—even when it may differ from what you think you want.
I am uniquely positioned to support anyone who is ready—even if only slightly inclined—to better themselves, enhance their mental health, and take that first courageous step. This journey will be met with empathy, understanding, and zero judgment, as well as a shared commitment to overcoming fears, challenges, and perceived obstacles to achieve meaningful growth and improvement.
For someone to learn that it is our thoughts that create the feeling, and in turn effects our behavior, coupled with identifying where our negative core beliefs come from can absolutely help someone take charge of themselves and where they want to go.
To also utilize a very present based and focused therapy style that uses abstract approaches to help raise awareness about why we sub-consciously do what we do can also be very empowering.
To explore the origins of how our early life experiences can absolutely mold and model our nervous system and how we instinctually act and react under certain stressors.
For those who are comfortable with this as a component of their treatment plan it can super-charge and better make sense of why bad things happen to good people; and how to work towards accepting the reality of what is and what we may be called to do or be.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a structured, evidence-based psychotherapy method designed to help individuals process and heal from traumatic experiences. The central premise is that trauma can disrupt the brain's natural information processing system. EMDR helps reprocess distressing memories so that they are stored more adaptively, reducing their psychological impact.Carefully assess whether a client is ready for trauma processing. In my practice I establish a safe environment and teach stabilization techniques before beginning memory work. I will implement bilateral stimulation to aid my client in reprocessing trauma. Adjusting the pace and intervention based on the client's responses and needs. I integrate EMDR with other therapeutic methods (e.g., CBT, somatic approaches) to provide a comprehensive treatment plan.