New to Grow
Hello, I'm Chase! I am a client-focused mental health therapist interested in helping people in Fort Wayne or online overcome their personal challenges. I am comfortable working with clients on depression, anxiety, trauma, and relationship conflicts. I have experience with a multitude of mental health concerns and I focus on building a trusting therapeutic relationship. I graduated from Huntington University in 2017 with a masters degree and have served people in the field ever since. I am an honest, well-meaning individual who cares for people deeply. I try my best to do the right thing. I have taken an interest in helping people with depression, anxiety, anger, and trauma related concerns.
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
In our first session, we'll complete a diagnostic evaluation. We will introduce ourselves and I will inquire what the presenting problems are. I'll ask about family history, health history, and some basic information regarding the history of the problem. By the end of the session, I will be able to determine if I'm a good fit and then proceed with treatment planning. We'll identify one or two goals for therapy before scheduling future sessions.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
I aim to be honest and compassionate in my work. I try my best to present myself as a real person that cares and I will do what I can to help. I adapt my methods according to the needs of the client, measured by their most immediate needs. I tend to be open to being wrong and welcome a client's perspective on their own needs in mental health. I am easy to challenge and if there are any concerns, clients don't have to fear communicating with me if required.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
I am a client-focused mental health therapist interested in helping people in Fort Wayne or online overcome their personal challenges. I am comfortable working with clients on depression, anxiety, trauma, and relationship conflicts. I have experience with a multitude of mental health concerns and I focus on building a trusting therapeutic relationship. I particularly work well with men with anger/behavioral issues, but overall I enjoy working with a wide range of people, including couples, LGBTQ community, and domestic violence victims. If you are struggling with changing behaviors and need help understanding how to manage your emotions more effectively, then I'm a great fit. I tend to work well with teenagers and adults. I believe I'm a good fit for helping men in particular who struggle with their anger or problematic behaviors.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I use this method to teach clients how to apply coping skills when emotions, thoughts or behaviors need to be redirected. I also utilize this method to help clients adjust their negative thought patterns over time and replace them with positive thoughts that are more effective at achieving their desired functioning.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
I teach some skills associated with the DBT group interventions and use chain analysis when addressing a problematic pattern of behavior. DBT is quite effective in individual sessions for helping clients understand how to incorporate healthy interpersonal relationship skills with their emotion regulation skills. Anyone who struggles to understand or control their emotions and also struggles with forming healthy relationships would benefit from this method.
Trauma Informed Care
Trauma informed care is always considered when a trauma history is present. I approach services with a client slightly differently if there is a trauma history and often try to distinguish to what extent trauma is linked to the reported issues from a client. Often times, Trauma requires more focused care. I am trained in EMDR, so anyone with significant trauma impairment would likely be encouraged by me to try this evidenced based approach. I help clients understand how trauma can impair functioning and engage in supportive reflections to help them navigate their fears and address trauma more effectively.
Couples Counseling
I have seen several couples in my practice and work hard with both partners to help them establish an agreed set of goals for their relationship. I generally try to identify strengths of each individual and encourage them to adequately explore their own emotional needs with their partners. Understanding conflict and how to engage in "healthy" conflict is also a major factor. I ensure that clients have a system in place for engaging in conflict which can help minimize harm and increase the compassion and grace that each partner can give in the relationship. Understanding how to have a healthy relationship is challenging, but it is not impossible as long as both partners are willing to take responsibility for their own part in the relationship. I teach couples how to communicate, understand their needs/the needs of their partners, and how to engage in healthy conflict consistently.
Strength-Based
I usually try to help a client identify their own strengths, emotional needs, and values. These factors are crucial for clients to be able to grow and develop healthy emotional processing and behaviors. Once emotional needs are identified, I give homework goals for clients to practice linking their emotions with met or unmet needs. This builds an intrinsic understanding with their own emotions and helps us learn how they can start using their emotions to engage in healthier behaviors (or perhaps heal from past concerns). I tend to try to mix in emotion-focused interventions when possible at this stage.