Hi! I'm a Licensed Professional Counsellor (LPC) based in the state of Pennsylvania. I received my Masters degree from Slippery Rock University and have been practicing as a therapist for 14 years. I have worked in different settings within Community Mental Health and have been in a private practice setting for the past 7 years. I enjoy working with clients both in person and through telehealth and have the ability to meet face to face if you are accessible to the Pittsburgh area! I utilize multiple treatment modalities throughout the duration of our time together and find that it is important for me to meet clients with where they are at in their personal journey. I have worked with clients of all ages throughout the course of my career and now am taking on new clients age 14 and beyond. Life throws us curveballs sometimes, and I enjoy assisting my clients as they navigate their path, whatever path that may be.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
It is important for me to build rapport with those that I serve, and I recognize that taking the step to begin therapy can be intimidating and sometimes difficult. During this first session I will provide structure with utilization of assessment questions, but will always respect boundaries, allowing you to share as much or as little as you feel comfortable doing so with me at this time. This initial intake appointment allows for rapport building to begin, and also allows me to better understand and recognize challenges that you may be facing and seeking support for. We can identify treatment plan goals together if there is need for assistance, but I also encourage autonomy in the therapeutic process as well!
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
I find that being my authentic self is important to me in both my personal and professional life. I pride myself on being someone that will always listen without judgement and without imposing my thoughts or beliefs on others. I meet my clients where they are at within the therapeutic setting and feel confident in being able to adapt and adjust to acute needs and goals as they present themselves. I consider myself to be laid back and easy going, while also able to hold others accountable if need be.
About Lianne Wassell
Serves ages
Licensed in
Accepts
Appointments
VirtualMy treatment methods
Trauma Informed Care
I have utilized a Trauma Informed Care approach throughout the duration of my career, in multiple settings and with people of all ages, over the past 14 years. I find that is important to recognize trauma as a unique experience that presents itself in many different forms to each individual served. TIC promotes positive outcomes by emphasizing physical, psychological, and emotional safety. It enhances wellbeing by empowering individuals to define their needs and goals, and make choices about their care and direction they feel most comfortable going in throughout treatment. I find it to be important and essential for clients to learn more about the impact of trauma, in order to better understand why certain responses may be occurring.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
I have been utilizing DBT for most of my career due to recognizing how effective this modality can be in managing intense emotions and interpersonal conflicts. It has helped clients to learn valuable coping skills and tools that can be utilized in many environments and relationships. We'll use DBT to help improve emotional regulation and ability to reduce distress by implementing more adaptive strategies, and reducing/replacing past maladaptive coping mechanisms. This treatment modality can allow individuals to live a more grounded, present life and promote individual healing. Dialectical Behavior Therapy concepts and skills can be used to treat many diagnoses and symptoms that individuals experience, and is often used in conjunction with other treatment modalities as a result.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
CBT is a common treatment modality, and I have used it over the past 14 years in my career. It is typically utilized to help identify and challenge automatic negative thoughts and beliefs that can impact emotions, feelings, behaviors, or reactions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy allows individuals to explore belief systems that may have worked for them in the past, but have now become difficult to let go of or move away from in different aspects of their lives. CBT can be an effective treatment modality to reduce anxiety, stress, fear, and improve symptoms of depression and mood disorders, just to name a few. It is often utilized in conjunction with other treatment modalities as well.
EMDR
I am trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and have been using this as an effective way to help clients work through past traumas and distressing experiences that are impacting their present day functioning. I have been utilizing EMDR since 2021 and have seen great results with clients who have experienced trauma(s) on many different levels. EMDR is typically utilized to treat PTSD, phobias, anxiety disorders, and depressive disorders, just to name a few. Whether or not a client chooses to move through all of the stages of EMDR, there are numerous self regulation skills that are learned and that can be utilized to lower distress and improve functioning in the present. EMDR is becoming recognized as an efficient and effective way to allow clients to move forward and not feel so "stuck" in the past. It promotes building upon new, adaptive belief systems and allows individuals to work through traumas without forcing them to relive or reexperience the traumatic memories. EMDR can be utilized in conjunction with traditional psychotherapy treatment, or clients can seek out EMDR therapy services only. I am equipped to conduct EMDR therapy in both virtual and in person settings.