LPC, 9 years of experience
Hello! My name is Laura Duffy, and I am licensed as both a professional counselor (LPC) and a clinical alcohol and drug counselor (LCADC) within the state of New Jersey. I started my career about a decade ago and graduated from William Paterson University's MA in Clinical and Counseling Psychology program in 2015. I have experience working in multiple levels of care within substance use disorder treatment settings, in addition to having worked in a psychiatric hospital setting. I have been seeing clients via telehealth for the past four years with varying degrees of mental health conditions.
During our first session, we will go over some questions where you will have the opportunity to share information about yourself - past and present. Together we will determine goals we can work toward in your therapy, which we will reassess on a regular basis to determine progress. We will also explore any past experience with mental health treatment and therapy, and I will help you navigate any questions or concerns about the process as well as expectations you have about therapy.
My greatest strengths in terms of therapeutic work, I have been told I have a very calming demeanor. I have also been told I am good at listening and making others feel safe. Whether this is your first time seeking therapy or you have been in and out of therapy throughout your life, I know it can be difficult to start to open up to someone new about your problems and innermost thoughts and feelings. I operate from a "person centered" perspective, which means we can take things at a pace which you are comfortable. You can also expect to learn coping techniques, thought reframing, and emotion regulation strategies from our sessions - and I can provide you with supplemental materials to keep the concepts fresh in between sessions.
My ideal client is anyone who wants to make a change and improve their mental health, and would like to work with a therapist who takes on an open-ended and collaborative approach. I firmly believe "a little compassion goes a long way", and see the value in positive connection in addition to therapeutic techniques. If you feel we will be a good fit, I would love the opportunity to work with you to help you achieve your goals!
In our work together, we can explore the impact of your thoughts and beliefs on how you experience life and the world around you. We will review techniques which will help you reframe your perspective and internal dialogue, in addition to shifting maladaptive beliefs which may be contributing to your symptoms and difficulty.
In our work together, we will review information which is relevant to your mental health experience.
In our work together, we will review concepts including emotional regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and the use of mindfulness strategies.
In our work together, we will explore readiness for change and assess any areas where you are having difficulty with motivation and any resistance coming up for you toward making the changes.
In our work together, you will direct the pace and topics discussed. I will help by providing tools and techniques we can work through and explore which are most relevant and helpful to you.