Welcome to my profile. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor (LCDC) in Texas and also an Army Veteran. I received my Master of Social Work in 2020 from the University of Houston's Graduate College of Social Work and have worked in the mental health field since 2018. I strive to help adults and teenagers assess their mental health situations and develop solutions for life's problems.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
During our first session, we will get to know one another. I will ask what it is that brought you into therapy. From there, we will begin creating a treatment plan together. The treatment plan will be modified as new situations surface and after previous situations are addressed. When coming close to the end of the session, the next session's topic will be discussed.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
Most of my mental health experience is from working as a mental health therapist at a psychiatric hospital. This means that I deal with all types of mental illnesses, from psychosis to depression and all populations.
About Alicia Ryals Ayers
Alicia Ryals Ayers offers therapy covered by UnitedHealthcare/Optum - Medicaid in Texas.
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VirtualMy treatment methods
Solution Focused Brief Treatment
I have worked as a therapist in an inpatient behavioral healthcare hospital for the past 4 years. Since the patients' stays are limited to 7 to 14 days, the therapy I provide there is brief and focuses on resolving the presenting problem(s). Before discharge, many patients have a plan to reintegrate back to society with a resolution to the issue(s) that brought them in.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
Negative thinking, stinking thinking, and thinking errors can be assessed through CBT. I use it in my practice by assisting clients with identifying their thinking errors and creating activities that aid in correcting the negative thought patterns.
Gestalt
Gestalt focuses on the present moment instead of the past. Some clients either don't remember the past due to suppression, or are not ready to face things that have happened in the past. This is when I use Gestalt in my practice. The empty chair technique is a method of Gestalt that I regularly use. I utilize the empty chair technique for clients when they are trying to work through difficult feelings involving another person. Often, the other person is not receptive to the client's thoughts. The empty chair technique helps the client express their feelings to the person without the person being there.
Strength-Based
When a person is struggling mentally, they tend to focus on their weakness rather than their strengths. In my practice, I like to highlight the client's strong attributes.
Motivational Interviewing
As a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor, I assist clients with getting sober and remaining sober through Motivational Interviewing.