Hi, My name is Willow Gallenz and I am a licensed therapist with 15 1/2 years of clinical experience as a LCSW and 18 years as a CSAC (Certified Substance Abuse Counselor) with a wide range of populations and treatment geared toward those populations. I received my Masters in Social Work from the University of Georgia and was an at-risk youth volunteer with the U.S. Peace Corps in Jamaica. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, depression, military issues, LGBTQ+ related issues, trauma and abuse, domestic violence, panic disorders and panic attacks, as well as coping with grief and loss. I take pride in advocating for LGBTQIA+ individuals since the early days of the HIV/AIDS crisis, including my most recent in-person job as an LCSW at a local jail.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
I work hard at building a therapeutic relationship with my clients as I find that to be paramount to successful treatment. I work from where they are in each session, using their experiences since the last session to drive the treatment for that session. I view clients as the experts of their own stories and work to have them leave sessions with me feeling empowered and with tools to positively impact their lives
What treatment methods and tools do you utilize?
I use solution-focused therapy to work with specific problems in client's lives, grief therapy to deal with grief and bereavement issues, psychoeducational therapy for multiple diagnoses, substance abuse treatment for multiple drugs, trauma-focused therapy for PTSD and trauma-related disorders, military and otherwise, mindfulness and DBT for anxiety, depression, and borderline personality disorder. and other tools, to include creative visualization.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
I have been an advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community since the early days of the HIV/AIDS crisis and continued that through the present, including in my last in-person job at local jail as an LCSW. I worked 15 years with the military and have a lot of knowledge of what service members go through and the resources that can benefit them. I am keenly aware of how substance abuse affects the lives of my clients and assess all clients on their substance use past and present. And trauma and grief are the reasons I had for becoming a therapist and I am especially good at working with trauma victims.
Describe the client(s) you are best positioned to serve.
Trauma, military, LGBTQIA+, substance abuse, those who were previously incarcerated or homeless, and domestic violence.