LMHC, 15 years of experience
I think one of the most important parts of therapy is finding the right "fit". That relationship is key in helping grow, trust and meet any goals that you might have going into the therapeutic process. Let me give you a glimpse of who I am! I'm Amy, a LMHC, who has been in the counseling world for over 15 years and love what I get to do. I started my career in the community health sector which I learned so much and worked with diverse groups of people with an array of various needs. I have worked in school settings as well as in homes. I have been deep within the community in many of my roles along the way. I have developed many techniques along the way as not one intervention will work for everyone. Some of the modalities I use are EMDR, CBT, Motivational interviewing, solution-focused techniques as well as a combination of these. I meet people where they are, maybe having to learn how they are even feeling let alone how to cope with that feeling. Maybe we have a tool, but if no one ever took the time to teach us, then what good is that tool?
During a first session, I really like to focus on rapport building and find out what some of the therapy goals might be. I tend to use humor at times to help with the nervousness of an initial counseling session. I am willing to listen to as little or as much as you are wanting to share during a first session, I meet you where you are.
I believe that my biggest areas of strength are trauma, stress, mood disorders, life adjustments, and identity issues. I think that my biggest strength is helping each individual really find their own way and be able to love their self. In order to do this, I really spend a lot of time developing a trusting, safe and genuine environment that allows for the self growth and exploration.
I love working with motivated individuals that may not even know exactly what they need to work on or change but are wanting to learn more about being self-aware.
Helping to identify the self-talk that leads to increasing depression/anxiety/self-esteem and allows a person to begin to change the negative thinking/self-talk to a more neutral or positive thought.
How aware are we to the present? This is a powerful method as it helps to ground us from our thoughts and bring us back into the present moments of our lives.