LPC, 8 years of experience
Frequently rebooked
Hello, my name is Alex Ernest, and I am fully licensed as an LPC in the state of Georgia. I have been working in the mental health field for nearly 8 years, and I really enjoy helping people work through their core struggles and work towards finding and living their true self. I approach each session based on what each person needs. I will utilize interventions like CBT, existential, art-therapy, solution-focused, etc., to help gain healthy coping skills and knowledge to work through all of life's challenges. I love to use humor, support and empowerment to build a strong relationship with each client. I always tell the people I work with that the therapy relationship can work as a model for creating healthy relationships, and I work towards creating an environment that can model that.
In our first session together, we'll start with brief introductions, dive into the specific challenges you're facing, and answer any questions or worries you have about the therapy process. This will help me create a tailored plan for us to work through in follow-up sessions.
I have worked in several environments in the mental health world: inpatient, PHP/IOP (partial hospitalization/intensive outpatient), and outpatient in the last 8 years. My experience has given me a wealth of knowledge with many diverse groups of individuals and the challenges that people face. Some of my biggest strengths are my use of humor, compassion, and total acceptance of each client and the struggles they come with. My understanding and open-minded approach allows each client to dive deeper into the issues they are struggling with without fear or judgment. I also joke with my clients that there is nothing they could tell me that would be offensive or off limits. You are wonderful the way you are and I hope to empower each person to see that.
I love working with adolescents and adults of any age who are struggling to manage anxiety, depression, and relationship issues. Relationship issues are a very broad term that covers a lot of ground such as conflict with a spouse, family member or friend, self-esteem and internal dialogue with oneself, and developing new, healthy relationships with new people in one's life. The individuals I work with come in with a variety of struggles, and are in need of tools to improve their quality of life and relationships. I often see my clients struggle with managing their emotions, having healthy relationships, and managing their anxiety and depression.
I have been utilizing the CBT interventions for several years. I think it is helpful in learning more about the way we think about things and provides a solid foundation for working through core beliefs, negative thoughts and developing healthy coping skills for many issues in life, especially in our relationships, self-esteem, anxiety and depression. It is not the only tool I use, but I think it is a great tool to start with in the beginning of the therapeutic journey towards healing.
My idea of person-centered therapy is that the client leads the journey. My goal is to support you in learning more about yourself, connecting with your emotions and expressing them in a healthy way, and working towards finding and being your true self. I have many skills and interventions to bring, but I believe you are the expert in your own life.
In my experience, no matter the core issue, relationships are at the center of our lives. Whether it is the relationship with our loved ones, peers, or ourselves, relationships are central. I focus on navigating the complexities of your relationships and support you in developing healthy communication and boundaries within them. I want to support each person in feeling fulfilled and happy with the relationships in their lives.
I think that many struggle with the big "what ifs" of life. Who am I? What is my purpose? What does it mean to be me in the world around me? There is no simple answer for those questions, but therapy is the perfect space to process through them. I provide an understanding and nonjudmental environment to work through any questions that are uncomfortable to dive deeper into.