New to Grow
Hi, I’m Duwanna, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with more than 20 years of experience supporting adults, children and adolescents through anxiety, OCD, depression, trauma, and major life transitions. I bring a warm, compassionate, and nonjudgmental presence to therapy, creating a space where you can feel understood, supported, and empowered. My approach is collaborative and grounded in evidence‑based care, blending CBT, person‑centered treatment, and solution‑focused strategies to help you build insight, strengthen coping skills, and move toward the life you want with confidence. I meet you where you are and walk alongside you as you grow.
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
In our first session, my goal is to help you feel comfortable, supported, and understood. We’ll take time to talk about what brought you to therapy, what you’ve been carrying, and what you hope will feel different moving forward. I’ll ask gentle, thoughtful questions to get a clear picture of your needs, your strengths, and the patterns that may be showing up in your life. You don’t need to prepare anything or have the “right words.” I’ll guide the conversation at a pace that feels safe and manageable. Together, we’ll begin identifying your goals and discuss what our work might look like, whether that includes CBT, person‑centered care, solution‑focused strategies, or a blend of approaches tailored to you. By the end of our first session, you’ll have a sense of what it’s like to work with me, how therapy can support you, and the next steps we’ll take together. My hope is that you leave feeling heard, grounded, and a little lighter than when you arrived.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
One of my greatest strengths is creating a warm, steady, and nonjudgmental space where clients feel genuinely seen and supported. With more than 20 years of experience, I’m skilled at helping clients slow down, make sense of their emotions, and reconnect with their strengths and values. I blend evidence‑based approaches, like CBT, DBT, ERP, solution‑focused strategies, and person‑centered care, in a way that feels practical, compassionate, and tailored to each person’s needs. I’m collaborative and grounded, offering gentle honesty, clear guidance, and tools clients can use right away. Clients often tell me they appreciate my calm presence, my ability to listen deeply, and the way I help them feel understood without feeling judged. I’m committed to helping people build insight, strengthen coping skills, and move toward meaningful, lasting change at a pace that feels right for them.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
I work best with adults who are ready for support, even if they’re not sure where to start. Many of my clients are navigating anxiety, OCD, depression, trauma, or major life transitions and want a calm, steady space to sort through what they’re feeling. They’re often high‑functioning, caring, and responsible people who have been carrying a lot on their own and are finally giving themselves permission to slow down and focus on their well‑being. My ideal clients value a collaborative, compassionate approach. They appreciate a therapist who listens deeply, offers practical tools, and helps them reconnect with their strengths, values, and inner wisdom. They may feel overwhelmed, stuck, or unsure of their next steps but they’re open to exploring new perspectives, building healthier patterns, and creating meaningful change at a pace that feels right for them. If you’re looking for a therapist who will meet you where you are, honor your lived experience, and walk alongside you as you grow, you’re in the right place.
Solution Focused Brief Treatment
I naturally integrate Solution‑Focused Brief Treatment (SFBT) into my work because it aligns with the way I already practice, with warm, collaborative, practical, and deeply grounded in clients’ strengths. Across my roles in behavioral health, child welfare, education, and telehealth, I’ve consistently helped people identify what’s working, build on their resilience, and move toward meaningful change in all core elements of SFBT. With my trauma‑informed lens and years of experience supporting adults through anxiety, OCD, depression, trauma, and life transitions, my skills at helping clients slow down and notice the strengths they already have. I highlight moments of resilience, reflect back what’s working and help clients see the progress they often overlook. This is classic SFBT, amplifying strengths instead of over‑focusing on problems.
Person-centered (Rogerian)
I use a person‑centered approach because I believe people heal and grow when they feel genuinely seen, heard, and respected. Throughout my 20+ years as an LCS working in behavioral health, child welfare, education, and now telehealth, I’ve always centered the client’s voice and lived experience. In every setting, I’ve created warm, nonjudgmental spaces where clients can explore their emotions at their own pace. I listen deeply, reflect what I’m hearing, and help clients reconnect with their strengths, values, and inner wisdom. My work has always been grounded in compassion, collaboration, and respect for each person’s unique story. I also blend person‑centered care with evidence‑based approaches like CBT, DBT, ERP, and trauma‑informed practices. This allows me to tailor treatment to each client’s needs while still honoring their autonomy and personal goals. My role is to walk alongside clients, not to direct them, so they feel empowered, supported, and capable of creating meaningful change. At its core, my person‑centered approach is about partnership. I meet clients where they are, honor who they are, and support them as they move toward greater clarity, confidence, and emotional well‑being.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help clients understand the connection between their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. With more than 20 years of clinical experience, I’ve supported adults facing anxiety, OCD, depression, trauma, and major life transitions, and CBT has consistently been one of the most effective tools for creating meaningful change. In practice, I take a collaborative, supportive approach. I help clients identify unhelpful thinking patterns, explore where they come from, and learn practical skills to shift them. We work together to challenge what no longer serves them and replace it with healthier, more balanced ways of thinking and coping. I also integrate CBT with other evidence‑based methods—like DBT, ERP, and person‑centered care so our work stays grounded, flexible, and tailored to each client’s needs. My goal is to help clients build insight, strengthen their coping skills, and feel more steady and in control of their lives. CBT gives us a clear, structured path forward, and I walk alongside clients as they practice new tools and begin to notice real, lasting change.