Virginia Spini, LCSW - Therapist at Grow Therapy

Virginia Spini

Virginia Spini

(she/her)

LCSW
4 years of experience
Virtual

I've been working with those facing very stressful life changes for some time and are finding anxiety or depression in daily life increasing. These stressful events can come at you one after another, giving you no time at all to adjust! This is when you just might need some assitance from someone outside of you normal circle, or maybe you are in transition and have recently lost your normal support group. Those that are heads of families find it difficult to confide in those that count on them to "keep it together," yet it is OK to say you need some support too. This is where I hope to help you. It is OK.... Take a deep breath and take a chance to reach out. I've worked in Tele-mental Health service for 3 years and have been clinically licensed since 2010. I am licensed in Arizona, Tennessee, Washington, and Florida.

What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?

The first session is sometimes the hardest one, as we are getting to know each other. Yes, we have requirements to make sure you are safe and limits of confidentiality are explained, but we also go over your current situation and problems you want help with. Yet, I will likely need some historical information. I want to be sure we know what we have as resources of support to use in helping you. Also it is nice to know what to avoid. The first session and part of the 2nd session is really defining what the problem is and getting a plan in place, or at least a rough plan to start. We can also change our plan or goals, it is ALWAYS up to YOU. So, the first session is important in knowing what the problem is you want to solve, but also to know what resources and tools you currently have available and what you have tried on your own to get better. The last thing we do during the first session is setting the plan for our next session! We will discuss any tasks you might want to try that first week, if your ready, but we can wait if we need to.

Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.

My greatest strength is helping my clients narrow down and focus on how to set up a road map of where they are and where they want to go. The client is the reason I do what I do and I want to assure anyone who works with me, that we set the pace together, but the client sets the goals! Finding measurable goals is the hardest to narrow down and I do assist clients in figuring out what "I WANT TO BE HAPPIER" means to you. How do you know that you're happier? What is different for YOU, when you are happy? Allow me to help you define that.

Appointments

Virtual

My treatment methods

Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)

3 years of working with CBT in telemental health settings and trainings with the Beck Instute for CBT. covering anxiety and depression. I work with clients to identify thinking patterns that fuel the feelings of anxiety and depression. I also use Behavior Activation to help you get back to doing things that may you may have stopped doing due to lack of motivation that often comes with anxiety and depression.

Motivational Interviewing

Motivational Interviewing is often intertwined with other therapies and can help you define when and why you want to accomplish tasks, it uses your own words and can clarify what is the reason to act on a task or a change in your own life.

Hypnotherapy

I've completed level one training and in the next 6 months & level 2 training in hypnotherapy and am so very excited to be able to offer this to appropriate clients. I am not yet certifed in this, yet I do have consultation for the next two years, and hoping to be certified in time. Hypnotherapy should not be considered a magic wand but it can help you focus your attention on making needed changes.

Mindfulness-Based Therapy

Mindfulness is a fantistic tool and I fully support any methods that educate clients on taking control of their health and wellbeing in ways to promote lifelong changes in health and mental health. I've been incorporating mindfulness and guided imagery in my practice for a few years and I've had very good results in mindfulness with teaching others.

Virginia Spini, LCSW