LCSW, 8 years of experience
Hello, I am licensed in California, Illinois, and Missouri. I have experience in helping teens, adults, couples, families, veterans, and military personnel with stress and anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, & coping with grief and loss. I work with my clients to create an open and safe environment where thoughts and feelings can be shared without fear of shame, blame, or judgment. You are encouraged to take the first step to seek a more fulfilling and happier life, it takes courage. I am here to support you in that process. Professional experience and additional areas of focus: Adoption and Foster Care, Cancer, Caregiver Issues and Stress, Communication Problems, Control Issues, Drug and Alcohol Addiction, Family Problems, Forgiveness, Hospice and End of Life Counseling, Impulsivity, Men's Issues, Military and Veterans Issues, Mood Disorders, Multicultural Concerns, Panic Disorder and Panic Attacks, Post-traumatic Stress, Self-Harm, Sexual Assault and Abuse, Sexuality, Young Adult Issues Clinical approaches: Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Solution-Focused Therapy, Trauma-Focused Therapy
In our first session together, we will get a chance to get to know each other and I will complete an assessment to get to know you a little better and find out what brings you to therapy. My job is to listen to you objectively and collaborate with you to develop a treatment plan with goals that are attainable.
I feel that my biggest strengths are the ability to actively listen and have empathy and compassion with clients. I work well with teens, adults, addiction, trauma, military and couples. I feel that it is important to be honest with clients and meet them where they are at and work with them as a partner.
I feel comfortable working with teens, adults, couples, veterans, military, and POC and members of the LGBTIQQ community.
3 ratings with written reviews
June 14, 2025
Derrick has been amazing for my wife and I and we are getting better in our marriage because of his patience, kindness and compassion to help others.
May 27, 2025
Has really made the approach to therapy seem less stressful for me and my partner.
May 3, 2025
The first person to really ask me questions that were thought-provoking and meaningful. Just a wonderful experience.
As a therapist, I emphasize what is going on in the person's current life, rather than what has led up to their difficulties although that is a consideration. The focus is primarily on moving forward in time to develop more effective ways of coping with life.
I'll ask many questions, including some about each partner's family of origin and some that challenge an individual's beliefs or perspective. I will not take sides in disputes, but I will identify individual behaviors that contribute to joint problems
I use motivational interviewing to help clients adapt to change when the are stuck. I will ask open questions. offer affirmations of client self-efficacy, hope, and confidence in the client's ability to change. Emphasize reflective listening. Summarize to reinforce that you are listening and genuinely interested in the client's perspective
I will talk about safety from the beginning: physical safety, emotional safety, and creating a safe environment where healing can occur. As well as, self-care, boundaries, grounding and resourcing.
I will provide the client with knowledge about various facets of their issues and concerns and its treatment so that they can work with me for a better overall outcome.