Jerica Wineberg
My approach to therapy is client-centered in nature. I believe clients are the experts on their lives, and I am here to help you reach your goals. My approach is less directive, so I tend to let clients determine what they want to work on and help them learn the skills needed to make the changes they are wanting to see.
I will challenge my clients when it is absolutely necessary to make progress but recognize that change isn’t up to me.
I use a mix of techniques and approach each client a little differently to meet them where they are at, with my primary approaches being ACT, CBT, DBT, and EMDR.
First session
I hope when a client leaves their first session with that they feel seen. I want a client to feel like they have someone they can trust to listen to them and help them. Therapy can be scary because there is still a lot of stigma around it, but I want a client to feel like they aren’t alone and it’s okay to ask for help. If I am working with a couple or a family rather than an individual I want them to feel like I am an impartial person able to give an objective opinion. I don’t want anyone to feel like I am picking sides because the issue isn’t usually with each other, its usually an external problem that can be solved if the couple or family works together.
Strengths
I tend to be a less confrontational person and accept what my clients tell me at face value. I give space for heavy emotions and won’t try to fill the silence in a session. I will challenge my clients when it is absolutely necessary to make progress but recognize that change isn’t up to me. Every client will be ready to make changes when they are ready. Every timeline is different; some clients will progress faster than others based on their specific goals and the effort they put into the therapeutic process.
Ideal clients
I like to help people, so ideally I want a client who is willing to have an open mind to the skills I have to offer and willing to practice what we talk about between sessions. I often focus on trauma, so clients wanting to process past or recent traumas are a good fit. I also focus a lot on transitional periods in life. Graduating high school or college and trying to establish independence and the struggles during that time in life. Struggles of becoming parents, changing jobs, getting married or divorced. The identity changes that happen when someone retires or their adult children leave home and they struggle with finding new purpose. All of these different areas and more cause a lot of distress in someone’s life, and I like being able to get people to feeling their best after experiencing hardships in life. .
Origin story
I realized I wanted to work in mental health when I was in 5th grade. My school guidance counselor provided me a lot of support that helped me have an outlet to manage stressors at home and in school. I wouldn’t be where I am today if I didn’t have someone recognize that I needed help. As I started schooling for psychology, I decided that I could have a greater impact working as a mental health counselor rather than a school guidance counselor. Through my continued education and experience in the field, I have been drawn to work a lot with trauma.
Ongoing work together
I try to have small goals or takeaways every session so that we can check in at the beginning of the following session and see what progress we have or haven’t made and where to go from there. More long-term progress can be seen by looking at how we were feeling when we first started therapy to where we are now and doing those more overarching check-ins every few months.
Treatment methods
Person-centered (Rogerian)
What I pull from this approach is meeting my clients where they are and working on the identified problems together with my clients.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I pull skills from this modality for clients who need to shift how they think about things so that they can have a better mindset and outlook.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
I pull a lot of tools from this modality to help clients with emotional regulation skills and developing mindfulness skills that can help them.
EMDR
This is my primary approach for clients wanting to work on trauma. This is a strong evidence-based approach that allows clients to process trauma even if they are not overly comfortable talking about their trauma.
Location
Virtual sessions
Identifies as
Top specialties
Doesn't specialize in
Licensed in
- PennsylvaniaLicense PC020866