My experience has spanned a period of parenting, college, and work as a paraprofessional and profession. This life time of experience includes parenting, generational family experiences (I am a mother in law, grandmother and great grandmother), and wealth of stories from clientele whose lives are each unique, and provide an education of experiences for me. My early experience has been in a variety of vocational rehabilitative centers, then growing to working in homes with children, and the entire family, to private outpatient counseling with individuals and couples. With the advent of telehealth after co-vid I branched out to work from home doing telehealth while minimizing for outpatient practice.
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
Individuals vary as they enter the counseling setting. For those who have never doing any from of counseling or therapy, it may feel like a huge "unknown," while those who have done therapy may have preconceived ideas based on what happened in previous experiences. So, my first question is usually, "what brought you into counseling today?" This is where we want to get to what is called "the presenting problem," what motivated you at this point in time to make an appointment. My role, to listen, ask questions for clarity or additional information, but to primarily, listen. Over time my role is to facilitate a relationship which places the client at ease and encourages them to share what is going on in their head and heart! This first session, technically, is considered the assessment. Each session is unique, different, as each individual is different, so as we move forward, I will suggest when the new client needs to come back to continue assessing and begin treatment.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
My strength, I believe, is being of the age to have lived a number of situations, experiences and relationships. As a wife, and Mom, I stayed home for a number of years. Prior to the "stay home period," I worked in the area of vocational rehabilitation doing assessments and work training. When I returned to the workforce I returned to the vocational area, while working with older Americans. I then went back to work when finishing my graduate school and license completion. Among the opportunities I had was to work on a Cherokee Reservation and in-home with high risk children and their families. This has given me the insight an variety to understand everyone of us has stories which have shaped who we are and what has gotten us to the point you come and sit with me. These experiences have humbled me in understanding that I can only understanding where someone is coming from by clearing my mind, not allowing judgements (other than clinical) to cloud my approach and to care for the individual from right where they are as I meet them. In term of the approach, I use cognitive behavioral and emotive therapy. I focus strongly on family history and family therapy. In working with couples I use the Gottman Model, as I consider this the most effective. Finally, I come from a Christian point of view. Do I only want to see only Christians? No, I want to see every one who has considered to visit me based on my experience and expertise.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
Life is not simple, uncomplicated or without challenges. I find that each client I have met has a story of what has lead them to seek out counseling/therapy. Our histories create in us the skills to manage or mismanage; to be brave or be fearful; to trust and mistrust and to know when to love or love until it hurts. As you struggle with these question, issues and feelings, your struggle may be weighted down by a sense of fear as to who to trust and how to love. I work with couples and individuals. Couples struggling with their relationship ; the parent living with the challenging pre-adolescent who questions everything; and the adolescent struggling to validate and create their own identity. My goal is to help my clients learn skills and gain understanding for a more full-filling life.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
We think, feel and behavior. This is how we basically function through out the day. CBT examines just that. This is my basic premise. Initially, after discussing what brought you to counseling, I delve into as much of your past as needed. Each of us are a product of years of integration of family, faith, environment, social and societal influences. These influences, experiences and environments are like the roots of the tree, which support and nourish the trunk, our core being of who we believe ourselves to be and how we see the world around us. These branches out to grow into out world as home, family, work, etc. Sometimes we need a neutral space, to share questions, concerns, feelings and experience which have created more days than not, of typical, fears, thoughts, behavior and/or relationship quandaries that you may feel "stuck in." This is therapy/professional counseling. As a therapist, I listen, console, explore, coach, educate and encourage my clientele through these difficult times. And I never stop waiting for the next story to be told!
Gottman method
For couples, seen either individually and together, communication is most often seen as a core issue of concern. I have had training in the Gottman method and really appreciate the simplicity, yet comprehensive manner in which we can learn to embrace communication. Then, we can communicate more effectively about the issues. I set my goal to guide individuals and couples to learn how to communicate with each other, I am the coach, guide and instructor.