Have you tried therapy before and walked away feeling misunderstood? Have you worried that you wouldn't be able to share everything about yourself in session, fearing judgement? When we don’t fit the norms around us, it’s pretty easy for anxiety and depression to wreak havoc on our mental health and self-esteem, making it more difficult to feel comfortable enough to be vulnerable. Having struggled with alienation myself, I’ve gravitated to helping people who experience this too. Although this can be something anyone goes through, I often find myself supporting people who are neurodiverse, LGBQTA+, ethically nonmonogamous, those with “alternative” faiths, and teens. In addition to supporting specific identities, I help people reduce their stress and anxiety, adjust to uncomfortable changes, climb out of depression, and build the confidence, insight, and judgment they need to improve themselves to impact their life. I pride myself on creating a safe, comfortable environment where you can express yourself freely, so we both learn more about who you are and what you need. Whether we work together or not, I'm really glad you're taking the time to consider therapy and care for yourself <3

What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?

Your intake will be focused on gathering data & forming a plan of how to reach (or find) your goals, but typical sessions with me tend to be 50 minutes and conversational, albeit with some guidance. I tend to assign behavior and thought based homework fairly often, but occasionally I might ask you to do a worksheet. (Seriously, this is your therapy, if you aren't interested in that tell me lol)

What treatment methods and tools do you utilize?

I think most therapist these days are fairly eclectic, so I’ll try to keep this to types I use the most: •Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, with emphasis on: ⦾ Cognitive Processing Therapy ⦾ Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, and ⦾ Psychoeducation •Solution Focused Brief Therapy •Motivational Interviewing My approach to each of these is highly influenced by systems theory and cognitive theory.

Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.

I think my experience as a patient offers a level of peer support that can increase vulnerability and therapeutic rapport to improve our outcomes. This allows us to come together as equals in session; I bring theory, interventions, and skills and you bring your knowledge of your life and goals.

About Candice Cruse