Hi, my name is Gwen. I'm a licensed clinical social worker. I worked in the field of social work my entire career which is 45 years. I've seen the profession transform, become more accessible, with a greater diversity of tools to use. I believe that the introduction of neuroscience into psychotherapy has made a radical change. This is where concepts like mindfulness and the effect of trauma on your body comes into play. Myself as a practitioner this particular historical is like none other that I have seen. I have access to so many tools and I have a wealth of experience. That helps me weed through tools quicker; I can find videos, give you things to read and worksheets. My goal is to help you to be freer.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
What happens in the first session as I will patiently listen to whatever you'd like to tell me. When you stop telling me, I will see what tools I have my tool bag that might assist you to help your symptoms to decrease. For some people, the most soothing thing is to be able to just come and have a place where you can be free, you can talk without concern of being judged negatively, you will have someone who will listen patiently, attentively, and with presence.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
I believe the thing that makes me most unique is I was blessed to go to school at a time where there was three basic schools of thought to psychotherapy. I believe I learned what I would call the basics before I learned all the techniques that have just exploded. Specifically I have been blessed with being introduced to the work of Dr. Carl Rogers. Dr. Rogers believes if the therapist can possess three additional ways of being that that can create an environment of safety for the client. The three ways of being are are unconditional positive regard (accepting someone), empathy (a nonverbal and verbal reflection of the essence of another 's experience to the member)
About Gwen Sperling
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VirtualMy treatment methods
Humanistic
Call Rogers, who is the father of humanistic psychology, along with Abraham Maslow. Specifically what Carl Rogers has to say if the therapist can possess three ways of being that it'll allow the client to feel safe and be able to drop their defenses and discuss their challenge. That is a very sophisticated way of saying when I work with somebody I give you a room to dance, to sing, to cry, to laugh, to be you. I truly believe everyone is doing the best they can. No one is ever failing. Sometimes we behave in ways that give us more of what we don't want, less of what we do want. Therapy is here to help you learn and find another............. ; > )
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I believe our brain drives our behavior and a very key feature of our brain is an area that I call the mind. In Buddhist philosophy, they talk about the mind quite a bit. The mind is very powerful. It's that little voice in your head that often negatively judges things. This is voice that categorizes everything in life as either good, or bad, In other words, your mind can say many very derogatory things to you about you and replay experiences over and over and drain you of energy. My goal with using CBT is trying to help you understand what those thoughts mean to you and why they keep circulating. Then also to give you skills to shut them up. Excuse my bluntness, but when we're talking about the mind, you really do need to be blunt. It's the only way the minds can hear at times. ; > )
Couples Counseling
In my experience, both personally and professionally the reason couples have conflict is one person in the couple wants something. The other person wants something else. What happens is that the couple are relating and they start to believe that the partner is saying XYZ when maybe they're saying AB and C. The whole point of couples therapy is to learn how to communicate with each other. True honest, face-to-face communication. Communication involves sending and receiving and that is the skill that will make a marriage last. The ability to send, receive and negotiate. Neither of you are going to get everything you want all the time. Find the middle and you two will find balance. ; > )
Culturally Sensitive Therapy
Humans like everything that exists on the planet comes in and all sorts of flavors. In this instance flavor represents the person's color, the cultural upbringing they had within their family, the cultural upbringing due to their cultural or racial identity. Here's the deal at the end of the day, we're all human. We all have the same organs more or less, we all have the same circulatory system more or less, we all have the same bones and muscles more or less, and we all have the same nervous system more or less. If we didn't doctors couldn't practice medicine. This is my way of saying, I am more concerned with the spirit inside, than the body that holds it. ; > )
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
DBT. I was introduced to DBT in the mid 90s My boss loved DBT. She called it diabolical behavioral therapy. Conceptually I was really struck. I thought it was a very solid idea to have an actual structured class where you have these four sections that you're going to learn. I was so curious about it. I ended up participating as a client. I have gone through the seven month program and blessed be I actually did it with a group who had worked directly with Marsha Linehan. I thought I learned it as it was meant to be taught. I love DBT. I will work with anybody in any part of DBT because I just think it's very effective.