Yvette Melendez
HELLO, I AM A BILINGUAL PUERTO RICAN FEMALE BORN AND RAISED IN NEW YORK CITY. I STARTED MY CAREER SERVICING INDIVIDUALS WITH MY ROLE AS A “CASEWORKER” 40 YEARS AGO. WITH A DEGREE IN LIBERAL ARTS, I WAS ABLE TO HELP WITH THE EMOTIONAL AND CONCRETE NEEDS OF MANY COMMUNITY MEMBERS. BY 1997 I OBTAINED MY MASTER’s DEGREE IN SOCIAL WORK AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER MANDATED TRAINING RECEIVED MY LICENSE. AS A LICENSED CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER (LCSW) I HAVE ENGAGED AND PROVIDED AGENCY AND PRIVATE PRACTICE PSYCHOLOGICAL INTAKES, CRISIS INTERVENTIONS, PROGRAM DEVELOPMENTS, SOCIAL WORK INTERN SUPERVISION, AND DIRECTORSHIP. I’VE PERFORMED INDIVIDUAL THERAPEUTIC SERVICES, FAMILY SESSIONS , COUPLES WORK AND GROUP WORK; THE AGES RANGED FROM 5 YEARS OLD TO 78 YEARS OLD. THE SETTINGS THAT I HAVE BEEN EMPLOYED AT THEMSELVES HAVE BEEN TRADITIONAL OFFICE BUILDING, MENTAL HEALTH CLINICS, CATHOLIC SCHOOL, TRADITIONAL SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY SCHOOL MODEL RUN BY CHILDREN’S AID SOCIETY. MOST RECENTLY, I HAVE BEEN EMPLOYED AS A TELE HEALTH LCSW WORKER FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS AND HAVE MY OWN SMALL PRIVATE PRACTICE.
First session
CLIENT SHOULD EXPECT TO SEE A FRIENDLY AND HUMBLE AURA WITH A GENTLE SMILE FEMALE GREETING THEM. THERAPIST BASICALLY CONFIRMS THEIR HIGH ANXIETY OF BEING IN THE PRESENCE OF A TREATMENT SITUATION , OF NEEDING HELP. HOWEVER MY EXPERIENCES MORE OFTEN HAVE BEEN THAT OF WHEN I I INTRODUCE MYSELF AND CONFIRM HOW ANXIETY PROVOKING IS THE BEING IN A THERAPY SPACE AND RELATE TO THEIR PRESENTING PROBLEM, IT SEEMS TO REDUCE THERE ANXIETY AND GETS A DIALOGUE-VENTING OCCURRING; WHEN I HAVE BEEN DIRECT AFTER MY INTRODUCTION “ WHAT BRINGS YOU US HERE TODAY” , THIS APPROACH SEEMS TO REDUCE THEIR ANXIETY AND THOSE BEGIN TO INFORM OF THEIR CONCERNS WHILE THERAPIST ASK QUESTIONS IN BETWEEN THEIR NARRATIVES. DURING AND AFTER THEIR NARRATIVES CLIENTS WILL GET SUPPORTIVE COUNSELING TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE AND HOPE IN THERAPY PROCESS. WITH AN EGO STRENGTH APPROACH CLIENTS ARE ASKED IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE WORKING ON THE PRESENTING PROBLEM AND SCHEDULE ANOTHER SESSION TO KEEP EXPLORING AND DEVELOP TREATMENT PLAN-HOW WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON THE PRESENTING PROBLEM .
Strengths
THE STRENGTHS THAT I BRING TO A SESSION STRONG ENGAGEMENT SKILLS AND PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS. I HAVE GOOD LISTENING SKILLS AND IM VERY OBSERVANT. I’M KNOWN AS VERY EMPATHETIC AND CROSS CULTURAL. THIS CAPACITY TO ENGAGE WITH OTHER CULTURES EFFECTIVELY … IS THE PRODUCT OF MY COMMUNITY NEIGHBORHOOD UPBRINGING. IN DESCRIBING WHY MY PSYCHODYNAMIC APPROACH STANDS OUT IS BECAUSE I HAVE STRONG EN ENGAGING SKILLS AND USE MY OBSERVATION SKILLS TO BE SUPPORTIVE TO THE CLIENTS IMMEDIATE NEEDS. I USE MY CROSS CULTURAL ATTRIBUTE HELPS RELATE AND HOPEFULLY CONNECT WITH CLIENT AT A HIGHER LEVEL. MY EGO SUPPORTIVE COUNSELING ASSISTS WITH BOOSTING SELF ESTEEM, SELF WORTH AND A SENSE OF HOPE. WITH THE STRUCTURAL AND SUPPORTIVE COUNSELING THAT LEADS TO PROBLEM SOLVING AND TASKS DEVELOPMENT, IS USUALLY HOW I END MY SESSIONS. I AM VERY RESILIENT IN MY WORLD SO I BRING THAT TRAIT INTO MY SESSIONS ALSO. MY APPROACH STANDS OUT BECAUSE ITS A PSYCHODYNAMIC APPROACH THAT BEING DELIVERED BY A COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVE BACKGROUND
Ideal clients
MY IDEAL CLIENT IS ONE THAT IS OPEN TOWARDS ESTABLISHING A THERAPY RELATIONSHIP AND HAS THE WILLINGNESS TO GAIN AWARENESS OF SELF, PRESENTING PROBLEM AND THE MANY THINGS THAT AFFECT THE PRESENTING PROBLEM. A DESIRABLE CLIENT WOULD BE ONE THAT IS RECEPTIVE TOWARDS FINDING MOTIVATION FOR CHANGE AND PROGRESS IN HIS OR HER LIFE; A PERSON WHO IS ABLE TO BE PRESENT IN THERAPY SESSIONS EVEN IF IT MEANS BEING SILENT IN SESSIONS OR THROUGHOUT. IN, SHORT THE IDEAL CLIENT IS ONE WHO IS OPEN, RECEPTIVE AND FEELING SAFE LESS ANXIOUS, TOJOIN ME (THE THERAPIST) IN A THERAPY JOURNEY TOWARDS CHANGE AND PROGRESS IS THE HOPE.
Treatment methods
Psychodynamic
WITH THIS METHOD OF THERAPY ENGAGEMENT IS AT THE FOREFRONT IN WHICH THERAPIST AND CLIENT WILL HAVE TALKING SESSIONS FOR THE DURATION UNTIL THERAPEUTIC RELATIONSHIP IS ESTABLISHED; IN THESE TALKING SESSION THE PRESENTING PROBLEM IS IDENTIFIED. THEN IN CONSECUTIVE SESSIONS FOCUS IS ON HELPING HOW THE CLIENTS UNCONSCIOUS THOUGHTS, PAST MEMORIES AND EARLY CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES IMPACT ON THE PRESENTING PROBLEM. WHEN CONNECTIONS ARE MADE THERAPIST AND CLIENT CAN WORK ON TREATMENT GOALS AND THE TASKS TO BE PERFORMED.
Location
Virtual sessions
Identifies as
Top specialties
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Licensed in
- New YorkLicense 056483