Hi there! I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in my 13th year of practicing therapy. I graduated from Wayne State University in Detroit, MI in 2011 and have a variety of experiences providing therapy to adults, children and families. I am recently trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing) which is a therapeutic modality designed to target and reprocess traumatic memories as well as the thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations associated with these memories.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
In our first session you can expect a laid back conversational atmosphere where we will begin the process of getting to know one another. Ideally I will gain some important details on what brought you to therapy, any previous experiences that you have had with therapy and answer any questions that you may have for me. The first few sessions that take place with a new therapist should be a balance of developing a secure relationship with your therapist by being provided a safe space to process your thoughts, feelings and experiences and learning new coping skills to effectively manage any symptoms that are causing distress in your life.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
I take a very humanistic/eclectic stance when working with clients. I bring an authenticity to the therapy space that is a combination of my skills, training and education and my lived experience. I welcome and specifically ask for honest feedback from my clients in order to support them more effective ways. I am humble and relatable to clients from various ages, backgrounds and lived experiences. I also tend to view things from a systems perspective and encourage my clients to identify and acknowledge the broader issues that are likely contributing to their individual distress.
Describe the client(s) you are best positioned to serve.
I enjoy working with clients that have a genuine desire to gain additional insight into reoccurring patterns or themes that they have noticed in their life. I have a passion for providing therapeutic support to individuals that have experienced domestic violence within their intimate relationships. I also love to support parents in navigating the challenges and pressure that accompany parenthood.
About Stacy Kilburn
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VirtualMy treatment methods
Attachment-based
Attachment based therapy interventions can be useful for clients wanting to gain a deeper understanding of their significant relationships. All human beings form attachments to caregivers as infants and there are several categories of attachment styles that are developed over time. As adults our romantic relationships, friendships and other significant relationships are often informed by the type/style of attachment that was developed in early childhood. Because our attachment systems are in place for our biological, emotional, and physical survival, it is not uncommon for major developmental changes ( i.e. marriage, having a child, moving, changing jobs, military deployments, spending the holiday with family members, etc) to activate our attachment systems. If you tend to have a relatively secure attachment style these developmental milestones in life may go pretty smoothly for you. If you have more of an anxious, avoidant, or disorganized attachment style, these same events can come with significant distress and or confusion. Exploring your attachment style within a therapy setting and gaining more insight on how your early life experiences and attachment style are playing a role in your current functioning can be very helpful for clients.
EMDR
Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) is a type of therapy that is used to specifically target and reprocess traumatic or distressing experiences. EMDR is comprised of several phases and in the early stages of treatment will include learning various resourcing exercises and exploration with a therapist of your window of distress tolerance. An important next component of EMDR therapy is bilateral stimulation while simultaneously recalling the target memory/traumatic experience. Research has shown that the part of the brain that houses the thoughts, emotions and bodily sensations that are associated with the original memory can be accessed and reprocessed.
Mindfulness-Based Therapy
Mindfulness Based therapy can be very useful when treating conditions such as anxiety. Mindfulness concepts are a significant part of yoga practice, meditation and can include guided imagery exercises facilitated by a therapist. Mindfulness is about existing in the present moment rather than dwelling on something unchangeable in the past or worrying about a hypothetical situation in the future. The human body and brain are very capable of assisting us in calming the part of our nervous system that is regularly activated when we are feeling anxious or faced with a situation that our brain has deemed unsafe, overwhelming or stressful. One of the most important concepts in mindfulness practice is our breathing and often includes strategies that practice focusing on aspects of your breath such as shallowness/depth, duration of inhale and exhale, connection to other physical sensations in your body and practicing non-judgmental self compassionate inner dialogue related to thoughts and feelings that arise during your practice.
Somatic
Somatic therapies can be useful in gaining increased awareness of where your lived experiences are stored in your physical body. We often do not have words to describe our experiences particularly if they are overwhelming/stressful/traumatic in nature or they took place when we did not have language to describe them. Somatic therapies focus on strengthening the relationship that you have with your physical body, increasing your awareness of what various bodily sensations are communicating to you about your emotions, thoughts and the safety level of situations/relationships/people. Often times we may be experiencing physical pain or other discomfort with no viable medical cause. These are called psychosomatic symptoms and somatic therapy approaches can be particularly helpful in alleviating these for clients.
Child Parent Psychotherapy
Child Parent Psychotherapy can be useful in strengthening the bond between parent and child. It is a dyadic therapy which means that the therapy usually takes place with both the parent and child present. Developing a secure and predictable attachment relationship with a child within the first 3 years of life is very important for all other aspects of development and is associated with all kinds of positive outcomes in later childhood as well as adulthood. Child Parent Psychotherapy generally involves a therapist supporting a caregiver and exploring the quality of interactions that they are having with their child. This type of therapy is often used with children and their caregivers who have experienced a disruption to their attachment system in the form of parental loss, abuse/neglect, involvement with the child protection/foster care system or witnessed violence in their home or community. The goal of the therapy intervention is to support the caregiver and child in repairing/healing that the disruption caused in the developing attachment relationship.