Hi, my name is Sylvia Barra and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in the state of Florida. I received my Masters degree at Florida International University after many years in the mental health field. I have experience working with individuals struggling with addiction, anxiety, depression, mood disorders, adjustments, school stress, self esteem and managing daily life stressors. My goal with every client is to assist tapping into their inner potential and applying it to become the best version of themselves.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
In our first session, we begin to build the rapport process and I will ask questions to better understand what barriers are taking place in your life to prevent you from getting where you would like to go. I practice active listening and questioning to ensure a clear understanding in order to better serve your therapeutic goals. I provide a safe space where there is no judgment and comfort to allow for a safe feeling in order to openly express your emotions and needs. Once an understanding of needs for services as been identified together I will be able to create a treatment plan to customize continued sessions.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
My number one goal throughout my career is to ensure clients feel heard and validate in their processes as their own experience. With this perspective it assist with creating individual goals that meet the unique quality of the client being served in order to create measurable outcomes.
Describe the client(s) you are best positioned to serve.
I love working with clients who are motivated to improve themselves which looks unique to each individual. My clients are eager to embrace change even after feeling stuck or overwhelmed for so long. They respond to collaborative work that allows them to reflect and seek the guidance to move towards internal peace and enhance their quality of life.
About Sylvia Barra
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VirtualMy treatment methods
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
CBT is a proven evidence based practice to assist with addressing and decreasing symptoms of substance use, anxiety and depression symptoms. Much success has been shown throughout sessions with client engagement and commitment to practice. I assist with breaking down distorted and intrusive thoughts and redirect the thought patterns in healthy truthful processes. Once interruption of distorted thoughts improve, mood shifts take place assisting with decreasing undesirable emotional symptoms.
Mindfulness-Based Therapy
Mindfulness practice assist with bringing awareness into the present moment which is a struggles in modern day society. The idea is to bring back the mind body connection to create open communication within ourselves. This allows us to slow down and turn inwards to honor what our body and our mind is trying to communicate. Creating the bridge of communication to mind and body allows mindfulness and grounding to decrease strong emotional responses to external factors.
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
ACT allows to decrease/interrupt the ability to run and deny internal struggles (emotions) and respect their presence and accept their existence. This assist with removing the "stuck" feeling and gain awareness to move forward. Once acceptance is understood creating a plan of commitment for change that is suitable at the present moment.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
DBT is an evidence based practice for individuals who experience strong emotions and common with personality disorders and substance use. The goal is to understand emotions and learning how to self regulate to come to a calmer state. Work included in DBT is mindfulness, interpersonal relationships, managing stress, emotional regulation, boundaries and decrease in self defeating behaviors.