Sandy Enders profile image

Sandy Enders

Sandy Enders

(she/her)

LPC
10 years of experience
Virtual

I have a fairly diverse background in work and education including 20 years in the business arena in retail and financial services. In 2000 I went back to grad school again and moved into higher education teaching and the mental health field. I have worked specifically in substance use disorder in both residential and out patient facilities and I am knowledgable about most substances both licit and illicit that often get abused. My MA in psychology was focused on Binge Eating Disorder which I struggled with in childhood and began self-medicating with cannabis by the time I was 14 years old. I found pills in my late teens and crystal meth in my early 20's which brought me to my knees by my mid 20's. I met my first psychotherapist at 25 and she turned my life around, that was when I made up my mind what my life goal would be.

What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?

At the first session I will listen to what you want to accomplish, what particular problems or goals you have, or if you are just trying to reach a higher ground. Also, a history about your past will be done and then we can decide if we want to move further and develop a treatment plan.

Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.

I think I have a past that creates my ability to be a good therapist. I came from a place of dysfunction where many clients may be, I survived the family abuse, the eating disorder in childhood, being the pothead in high school, the crystle meth head in my 20's. I know what it's like to go to sleep clutching a bottle of pills thinking about taking them but knowing how the family would bash me if I lived through it. The things that saved me were therapy, my faith, my mother's support, and my love of learning. I attended various colleges and universities and so I have a strong diverse educational background, secular and faith based. I am also 65 years old and have much wisdom to offer. I am very devout to my spirituality and consciousness and always striving to rise to a higher level.

About Sandy Enders

Identifies as

Specializes in

Serves ages

Licensed in

Accepts

Address

23 Oregon Avenue, East Haven, CT, USA

Appointments

Virtual & in-person

My treatment methods

Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)

I am well versed in cognitive-behavioral therapies especially for substance use disorder. If the client is younger and not so knowledgable I stay with basic cognitive-behavioral skills.

Existential

If my client is older and/or seasoned about their problem I move into existential issues, with the focus often on "meaning or purpose in life".

Faith based therapy

I was raised Catholic and never really left. However I have opened myself up to learn about all the world religions and over the past decade have concluded that God is consciousness itself. That does not mean that I have turned my back on Jesus Christ. I still most deeply follow the Christian philosophy, meditations, and will still attend Catholic masses. I view religion as a "man made social institution" and spirituality as "my relationship with God".

Jungian

In general I tend toward psychoanalytic, seeking the unconscious and facing the shadow in talk therapy. My favorite psycholgist is Carl Jung. I strongly believe in the collective consciousness/unconsciousness (Akashic Record) and will work with some of the metaphysical alternative methods such as energy, EMDR, tarot, hypnosis, as long as I feel the patient is prepared to do so.

Transpersonal

I especially enjoy working with specialty or challenging clients who have paranormal events, extra sensitivities and/or are trying to ascend to a higher dimension of reality or want to discuss a psychedelic experience, or non-ordinary state of consciousness.