(she/her)
I'm a Licensed Professional Counselor based out of Virginia. I have 11 years of experience working with clients dealing with depression, anxiety and life transitions. My passion is to assist those in need of developing positive self esteem, eliminating negative thoughts related to past experiences and nurturing positive ideas regarding their future. I am a military veteran who served for 20 years which has exposed me to interacting with a vast group of individuals.
During our first session to make you feel comfortable disclosing your personal details, I will introduce myself to you and provide some background information about myself. Then I will ask you some questions to determine your reason for seeking therapy and we will collaborate on developing treatment objectives and goals for future sessions.
As a therapist, my goal is to make each client I work with feel valued and heard. I am relatable and am able to be nonjudgemental and accepting of all of my clients needs.
My experience includes working with women, especially those of color who desire to work with a relatable Clinician that can understand their personal and professional cultural experiences. I have expertise in special women's issues to include trauma, body image, self esteem, emotional eating, sexuality concerns, parenting, empty nesting, and eliminating depression and anxiety symptoms.
Tesha Thornton offers therapy covered by Kaiser Permanente - Medicaid and UnitedHealthcare/Optum - Medicaid in Virginia.
In using the ACT model, my goal is to assist my clients with valuing their lives by accepting unpleasant experiences by staying in the present using mindfulness and nonjudgemental flexibility.
Learning to recognize one’s distortions in thinking that are creating problems, and then to reevaluate them in light of reality. I use CBT by helping my clients gain a better understanding of their behaviors by using problem-solving skills to cope with difficult situations and learning to develop a greater sense of confidence in one’s own abilities.
In using mindfulness with clients to reduce anxiety and depression symptoms, my clients are educated on practicing techniques such as sitting meditation, yoga, or other grounding exercises. Clients are encouraged to practice these exercises when not in sessions to allow them to become less reactive to unpleasant internal thoughts and feelings but more reflective, which in turn will lead to positive psychological outcomes.