Desiree Atwater
I provide a warm and welcoming space, free of judgements and bias. I am here to meet you right where you are because some seasons of life can be more challenging that others. I firmly believe that having a safe space to explore your thoughts openly can bring so much healing and growth. I will both, work with you and challenge you when needed. As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist I have built my career and experience on working to support children, teens, couples and adults. I have shifted gears to working primarily with adults in a one to one setting to reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and traumas while supporting life transitions. My clientele is made up of a mix of individuals facing challenges in life with adjusting to changes in life stages, experiencing overwhelming emotions and needing some help in building coping and balance with life's stressors, and those wanting to improve communication skills to achieve their relationship goals.
First session
Our first session will be invasive, not gonna lie. I will ask many questions to gather a clinical picture of what areas of life have resulted in the impacts you are coming to therapy to work on. I will get all up in your business to get to know as much as I can to complete a clinical assessment to determine areas of need so we can work together to build a treatment plan that is focused on the areas you want relief from. Our second session is when therapy starts to really happen. We will work together in a judgement free space where you can share whatever is bringing you in and we can build a therapeutic relationship where I can get to know you and your patterns of thoughts and behaviors and how they interrupt you.
Strengths
I approach therapy with compassion and warmth first and foremost. I encourage my clients to remember this is their first walk through life in any given stage and self compassion is a valuable learned skill. I have seen where my weakness of my own inner critic has taught me to transform that criticism into my own strength. I Meet my client's with empathy and understanding so I may ask a lot of questions to help me build that understanding because curiosity is a valuable tool for connection. I also will challenge client's when patterns that are not serving your goals continue to repeat themselves. I remind my client's they are in the drivers seat of their own life, but they are not alone.
Ideal clients
I like working with client's of all backgrounds. Race, culture, faith, age, and sexual orientations do not interfere with the level of care I provide. I learn a lot from diversity and I value each individuals experiences and upbringing. My client's typically are facing some level of disruption often caused by a life transition ( returning to college, starting a family, caring for a family member, or shifting careers). They are usually wanting to work through heavy emotions that can come with anxiousness or depressive concerns feeling hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel or being fearful and crowded with worry to continue to take each step in that tunnel. Trauma affects us all in different ways and sometimes we are unaware of our own trauma experiences until we begin therapy. I am trauma informed to support the needs of my clients with a lens of compassion.
Treatment methods
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I utilize the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) framework to assist my clients with connecting thoughts, feelings and emotions and support them with building awareness of how these three components intersect and result in how we face the world. When we can learn the connection between thoughts, feelings and behaviors we can then learn how to respond to the the world the way we want to versus the way we are used to. We learn lots of unhealthy patterns in life and this modality helps my clients to challenge and therefore unlearn what is not working for them so they can try new strategies that do.
Faith-based therapy
I am happy to engage in Faith based therapy to support my clients. If faith is already a cornerstone for them in managing heavy times, I have learned that it can be very beneficial to incorporate each client's values into their healing journey. I, myself am a Christian believer and I am not a Pastor of any kind. I am not here to convert or challenge anyone else's faith but I can offer support of helping clients to tap into their own faith based strengths to support their needs regardless of what denomination of faith they may be. I am comfortable working with individuals of various faith backgrounds even if they do not match my own. I also will only provide faith based supports when a client has expressed interest and need for it to be integrated into their healing journey. My client's hold autonomy over their own healing.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
I support my clients with utilizing the Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) modality to support clients who seek help in balancing accepting themselves and their reality as they are. I utilize practical skills to support mindfulness to help client's remain present in the moment. I believe radical acceptance can help clients to manage heavy stress responses. I find that helping clients see various perspectives rather than one size fits all thinking can help them with regulating emotions and communicate their needs more effectively resulting in healthier approaches to relationships.
Location
Virtual sessions
Identifies as
Top specialties
Doesn't specialize in
Licensed in
- CaliforniaLicense 138021