Iyanna Latimer
I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker offering telehealth therapy for adolescents, adults, and families in Connecticut. I'm passionate about helping others overcome struggles, realize their true potential, and build the lives they've always dreamed of.
Congrats! You've taken the first step towards change. Now, what's next? Fortunately, you don't have to know the answer now, but we will figure it out together.
My practice focuses on helping individuals and families work through a wide range of mental health, behavioral, and/or substance use issues. My approach is trauma-informed, client-centered, and culturally competent. Starting therapy doesn't mean something is "wrong" with you. Rather, it highlights your desire for progress. My strengths-based approach begins with recognizing that your decision to seek support is a strength in itself. Meaningful change begins with investing in yourself; my approach is designed to make that investment worthwhile - collaboratively working to equip you with the insight, skills, and confidence to create positive, lasting change. Taking the first step towards change can feel scary, but you don't have to do it alone!
First session
Our first session is an opportunity for me to get to know you - your experiences, what brings you to therapy, and what you want your life to look/feel like moving forward. I'll meet you with warmth, validation, an open-mind, and a listening ear. It's my priority to create a collaborative therapeutic relationship where you feel heard, respected, and supported as we work toward meaningful and lasting progress. No one person has the answers on how to navigate life's struggles, but I would love to support you on your journey to finding them.
Strengths
A strength that has been reflected to me throughout my career is my ability to bring my clinical expertise to sessions without leaving my humanity at the door. I value open communication, authenticity, acceptance, and validation. Therapy can be daunting - but it doesn't need to be. I bring a warm, approachable presence to each session and strive to help clients leave feeling more grounded, clear, and confident about their path forward. More importantly, I will meet you where you're at and help you move towards where you want to be.
Ideal clients
My ideal client is someone who is open-minded, honest, and willing to be curious about themselves. I value rapport building and authenticity to best build trust and safety. Whether you're going through a difficult life transition, feeling disconnected, struggling with depression, substance use, overwhelming anxiety, or past hurt keeps finding a way into your day-to-day, it's important to you show up for yourself no matter how small. I enjoy working with clients who may feel stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure on where to begin because I see therapy as an opportunity to recognize strengths you already possess. Even if you aren't ready for change yet, my ideal client is someone who is willing to become curious about the possibility of change. If you are looking for "answers" or want to carve out a clearer path forward, I would love to support you on your journey.
Treatment methods
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
Often times, it feels a lot easier to avoid our difficult thoughts and feelings, even if we know it's not the best thing for us. Using ACT, we will focus on learning how to accept these difficult thoughts and feelings, rather than avoid them. Through identifying values important to you, we will work together to build a life that is more meaningful and fulfilling rather than one led by emotions and uncontrollable circumstances.
Attachment-based
Our early relationships and life experiences can influence us in more ways than we realize sometimes. With attachment based therapy, we will work to understand how your past is impacting your present. Essentially, we will work on recognizing unhelpful relationship patterns you've experienced, understanding your emotional needs, and develop a stronger sense of emotional security.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
Thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are all intertwined, but how? CBT helps us to analyze the connection between unhelpful thinking patterns and the impact they have on our feelings, and then, our behavioral responses. Through reframing unhelpful thinking patterns and developing coping skills, we will target unwanted emotions to make intentional behavioral changes.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
If you experience intense emotions and aren't sure how to manage them, we will work together to find helpful coping skills and ways to keep moving forward. We cannot control what or how we feel, but we can learn how to cope better during difficult times or communicate more effectively to get our needs met in the midst of conflict. You will learn how to feel your emotions without being controlled by them, and positively cope when feeling overwhelmed.
Strength-Based
Rather than focusing solely on challenges, we will will also explore your existing strengths, past successes, and acknowledge the ways in which you've successfully navigated difficult experiences before. We will identify these strengths and discuss how they can be applied now and moving forward, to help ease whatever life throws your way. My goal is to help you recognize that you are not the challenges you face, rather the strengths you embody.
Location
Virtual sessions
Identifies as
Top specialties
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Licensed in
- ConnecticutLicense 16157