LPC, 10 years of experience
Hello there! My name is MJ and I'm a Licensed Professional Counsellor (LPC) based in Connecticut. I received my Masters from Walden University in 2015 and have been practicing in a variety of clinical settings for 10 years. I help young adults and adults struggling with gender identity, anxiety, life transitions, and substance misuse issues, become the best versions of themselves. I look forward to working with you!
In our first session together, we'll start with brief introductions, then dive into the specific challenges you're facing. This will help me get to know you and create an individualized plan for us to work through in follow-up sessions. I've often heard from clients after our first session, "Im so glad I was matched with you".
Having worked with young adults and adults in a variety of clinical settings, I've developed an authentic and individualized approach for helping you (a) identify the root cause of your challenges and (b) create a tailored plan that leads to measurable progress.
I love working with young adults and adults. My clients are eager to improve/motivated to be well, but don't yet have the tools needed to make this goal a reality. They often feel stuck, overwhelmed and anxious about various aspects of life, including gender identity, life transitions, relationships and self-worth.
I've been using CBT in my practice for 10 years, specifically, helping clients recognize the connection between our thoughts, feelings and behaviors. It has helped many clients identify , challenge and replace unhelpful, reoccurring thoughts, leading to reduced symptoms.
We'll use ACT to develop psychological flexibility by increasing your ability to accept difficult thoughts and feelings while committing to behaviors that align with your values. Often, we allow our thoughts to dictate how we feel and behave, moving ourselves away from what actually matters (values). ACT encourages present moment awareness to move towards a more meaningful and balanced life, even when facing challenges.
Exploring the unconscious and past experiences allows for increased insight and clarity surrounding current behaviors and emotions. The aim is to help individuals gain self-awareness and resolve underlying psychological challenges leading to improvements in emotional wellbeing and relationships.