My name is Kares Clarke, and I'm thrilled to welcome you as a new client. I truly believe that therapy can be a transformative experience, and I'm honored to be a part of your journey towards growth, healing, and self-discovery. Before we embark on this journey together, I'd like to take a moment to introduce myself. I am a Clinically licensed Social Worker specializing in: Self abandonment, Issues of control and attachment . Over the years, I have had the privilege of working with individuals from diverse backgrounds, helping them navigate various challenges and achieve their personal goals. My approach is rooted in empathy, compassion, and collaboration. I am committed to creating a safe and non-judgmental space for you to explore and process your thoughts and emotions.
The first therapy session is an essential foundational step in the therapeutic process, in the first session I focus on establishing rapport, setting the tone for a safe and supportive therapeutic relationship. During the first session, I do what I call the 'historical' session. This is when we talk about the history of you and what got you to where you are today with the presenting issues that you came to therapy to discuss and solve. I am a big believer that we can not resolve any issues without first looking at how the issue came to be. I spend time getting to know you better, asking questions about your symptoms, how they impact areas of your life, your family history, and any prior experiences with therapy. This part of the therapy session allows the me to understand a client's situation better and develop a personalized treatment plan.
Having worked in the 'people helping' field for over a decade, I've developed a knack for guiding clients on a journey of self-discovery, helping them navigate the complex process of forming healthy relationships and creating a safe emotional space within themselves. I strongly believe in providing clients with a supportive and empathetic environment, assisting clients in understanding and resolving patterns of self-abandonment and facilitating the growth and integration essential for rebuilding self-worth and establishing meaningful connections with others.
In school I studied CBT and attachment-based therapy. Over the years I have gone to Attachment based trainings and use it as the primary modality in treatment as I tend to work with a lot of clients that struggle to form healthy bonds with others.
In school I studied CBT and attachment-based therapy. Over the years I have gone to CBT based trainings and use it as the primary modality in treatment as I tend to work with a lot of clients that struggle with challenging negative thoughts and changing their cognition.
In my practice, I often use narrative therapy as a method to help clients reshape and reframe their stories. Narrative therapy allows clients to externalize problems, helping them see that the issues they are facing are not intrinsic to their identity but are separate experiences. This empowers them to rewrite and reclaim control over the narrative of their lives. My experience with narrative therapy includes working with individuals dealing with trauma, anxiety, depression, and relationship issues. The technique is especially helpful for clients who feel stuck or defined by past experiences, such as childhood trauma or unhealthy relationships. By guiding clients through the process of examining their personal stories, they begin to see how certain patterns have developed and how they can disrupt those patterns by seeing their situation through a new lens.
Inn my experience, Compassion Focused Therapy is a transformative approach, especially for clients who struggle with self-criticism, shame, or feelings of inadequacy. Together, we explore where the client’s self-critical voice comes from—whether it’s childhood experiences, trauma, or societal pressures. By recognizing that these patterns were often developed as coping mechanisms in response to difficult situations, clients can begin to soften their judgment toward themselves. Understanding the source of their self-criticism is the first step toward healing.