LCSW, 24 years of experience
New to Grow
Welcome home! I'm Jill, and I've been a clinical social worker licensed and serving clients in Georgia for 24 years. I have had the opportunity to work with people of different ages and backgrounds as well as with varying levels of need. I currently work with adults 18 and older who experience anxiety, depression, intrusive thoughts, feelings of overwhelm, or who are perhaps challenged by life transitions - think navigating life after high school or college, moving in or out of the work force, dealing with a physical illness or chronic medical condition, or losing a person you have loved. In addition, my professional experience includes extensive work in healthcare and with serious mental illness. Together we focus on your goal(s) for living and for life, and my goal is for you to feel comfortable and safe in your journey.
Our first session is a time to get to know one another as we share information about our backgrounds and what brings you to therapy. Building trust takes time, so be assured that you can share information in a safe space or decide to wait until another time when you are more comfortable. We discuss goals as well as rules and expectations of treatment for you and for me as the clinician, and we take a bit of time to talk about effective strategies that can be used improve your overall health and wellbeing. The first session may not feel like therapy, because we each have questions which need to be addressed; however, I reassure all my clients that we are taking this first important step in your therapeutic journey, and the work has already begun!
An important part of my role as therapist is to ensure that you as the client feel comfortable and safe to share the intimate and vulnerable pieces of you. I have a lot of life experience and respect that you share your life with me, and I am approachable and really enjoy and value your time with me. I am supportive and recognize that many of the people who talk with me are harder on themselves than others, and my work is to assist you in countering your misperception that you are not enough. Our time together is work toward changing your thought process to recognize your inherent worth, and my clients are able to lessen negative thoughts and feelings for mood stability, increased function, and improved quality of life.
My clients come to me with emotional intelligence and an awareness of what they need but difficulty navigating how to move from feeling emotional overwhelm to empowerment. The people that I meet in therapy have often taken care of others - children, spouses, parents, extended family, and communities - but have not taken time or care for themselves. You have value, and self-care is not selfish. Change is difficult and frightening, but your courage has brought you here, to this moment. You've taken the first brave step on this journey, and you are not alone. We'll explore these new paths together.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is an evidence-based treatment, and I use CBT to effectively treat signs and symptoms of anxiety, depression, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and trauma. We recognize the link between thoughts, emotions, and behavior and work to identify and explore those errors in thinking which negatively affect feelings and actions. Learning how to counter these negative thoughts facilitates interpersonal functioning and promotes improved quality of life.