I am Corey LaRue, LPC, a seasoned professional of 42 years, with a rich tapestry of 11 years dedicated to the field of Behavioral and Mental Health. My academic journey has been wide-ranging, earning two Associate degrees in Religious Studies and General Psychology, three Bachelor degrees spanning Crisis and Christian Counseling, to Life-Coaching, alongside two Master's degrees in Professional Counseling and an MBA with a concentration in Healthcare Administration and Management. As a clinician licensed in both Pennsylvania and Oregon, complemented by a National Counselor Certification, my ethos in practice is rooted in authenticity, care, and empathy. My extensive professional background encompasses a variety of settings, including School-based services, In-patient and Outpatient care, Mobile Therapy, Alternative Education, Partial Hospitalization programs, Residential treatment, and Teletherapy, allowing me to offer a grounded and practical approach in assisting individuals as they chart the courses of their lives.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
From our initial encounter, my primary objective is to cultivate a sanctuary of acceptance and comprehension. The foundational aspect of my clinical approach is to establish trust and rapport, aspiring that my authenticity will encourage a sense of ease and pave the way for the commencement of the healing process. My aim is to truly understand those I work with. Gathering information and background details is instrumental in forming preliminary objectives and diagnoses; however, my personal methodology extends deeper, endeavoring to genuinely perceive my clients in their entirety. This includes acknowledging their scars, acknowledging the depth of their pain, recognizing the vestiges of their inner child, and discerning the sincerity of their hearts. This empathetic insight allows us to collaboratively unearth the genuine roots of their distress. Attaining such depth of understanding is not an expectation I hold for the first day; instead, I strive to demonstrate enough genuineness to earn my clients' trust, affirming that my sincere intention is to journey with them toward this insightful destination.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
While I could articulate my own professional strengths, the testimonials of my clients resonate with a far more profound impact. According to their accounts, the most salient attribute they attribute to me is my authenticity. My practice is grounded in a pragmatic, real-world perspective, and I am firm in my commitment to exclude judgement from the therapeutic space. Drawing from my personal experiences—navigating the complexities of marriage, understanding the challenges of parenthood, pushing through the depths of despair, experiencing profound loss, and emerging from trauma with renewed hope—I bring a depth of empathy to my engagements. My ability to relate to and accept individuals as they are is fortified by having faced and felt rejection myself. However, the essence of my approach is not solely hinged on this personal empathy. It is the combination of genuine understanding with robust professional knowledge, comprehensive training, and extensive experience that fosters meaningful healing in my clients. It is not my belief that therapists require identical life experiences to be effective—far from it—but in my practice, my clients discern the authenticity of care, empathy, and acceptance born from my own journey. This, I am told, sets me apart and resonates as the harbinger of a therapeutic experience that works, often uniquely so compared to past attempts they have made to seek help.
About Corey LaRue
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VirtualMy treatment methods
Person-centered (Rogerian)
I firmly hold the conviction, based on both professional experience and personal belief, that the genesis of human distress frequently originates from an internal clash of an individual’s own thoughts, perspectives, and beliefs. This internal strife is often exacerbated by external influences, such as societal expectations and judgements. These external pressures can seed feelings of shame, guilt, anger, frustration, sorrow, depression, and anxiety. In the therapeutic setting, fostering an atmosphere of non-judgment, acceptance, and empathy is crucial. Such an environment enables clearer introspection and recognition of the sources of one’s distress. In the collaborative partnership between client and therapist, I am committed to facilitating this explorative journey, aiding you in the process of self-love, forgiveness, acceptance, release, and the discovery of inner tranquility. These qualities often elude us, obscured by experiences of feeling unheard, unseen, unaccepted, or unloved. Authenticity as a therapist remains a cornerstone of the Person-Centered Approach. It is imperative to embody the principles we endorse genuinely and without reservation. By being genuinely non-judgmental, compassionate, empathic, and open-minded, we are able to establish a connection and create an environment conducive to growth, awareness, and healing.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
As previously articulated, the essence of our suffering often does not derive directly from our experiences but rather from our personal interpretation and conceptualization of those experiences. Life undeniably presents its array of challenges and poignant moments; however, our emotional responses are significantly shaped by our thoughts and beliefs surrounding these events. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) provides a framework for examining the extent to which our suffering, behaviors, and emotions are influenced by our foundational beliefs, philosophies, and expectations. These notions can be profoundly disrupted by life's unpredictable nature, leaving us feeling bewildered, confused, and adrift. Anxiety and depression often surface when our reality falls out of alignment with our preconceived ideas. As posited by J. Nguyen, thought in itself is not reality, yet it is the very mechanism by which our personal realities are constructed.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
Life can throw us curveballs, and sometimes it's the parts of life we think we have figured out that can throw us off balance. We might play it safe, trying to dodge problems we expect, only to realize that we're often worried about things that aren't even happening. Our worries and the stories we tell ourselves are sometimes stuck in the past or imagining a future that hasn't happened instead of dealing with what's right in front of us. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a type of counseling that helps us deal with this. It teaches us to be more aware of the here and now, to accept life's changes, and to handle our experiences without getting overwhelmed. DBT also helps us tell the difference between fears that are real and ones that our minds make up because of old habits or mistaken beliefs. It's about learning to recognize when our thoughts might be leading us astray and how to gently bring ourselves back to what's actually going on in our lives.
Couples Counseling
With two decades of marital experience in a blended family that spans the developmental spectrum from childhood to young adulthood, I have amassed a wealth of practical insights that enhances my ability to support others on their relational paths. My formal education, highlighted by training and certification in marriage counseling, is complemented by the insightful methodologies of John Gottman. His conceptualization of love as a dynamic journey, as opposed to a static endpoint, informs my approach, particularly in helping couples avoid what he characterizes as the "four horsemen" — the destructive behaviors that can herald relationship dissolution. Within my practice, I integrate a variety of perspectives, including the principles of love languages, attachment styles, financial temperaments, control dynamics, and the critical aspects of effective communication coupled with the establishment of robust boundaries. My clients come to understand that the primary objective is not necessarily the preservation of the relationship itself, but rather the personal growth of each individual. This involves cultivating self-awareness of their own needs, desires, and expectations from the relationship. They learn to articulate these needs to their partner, and either embrace their partner authentically, uniting as a more integrated couple, or arrive at mutual terms if alignment cannot be achieved. Often, there is a tendency to compel change within the relationship; however, genuine love is exercised unconditionally. While adaptive changes may be needed, these are commonly precipitated by underlying issues such as misunderstandings, accumulated resentment, anxiety, or unresolved past trauma being projected into the present relationship. By fostering self-discovery, individuals are better equipped to understand and accept their partners — to truly see and be seen for who they are at their core.
Grief Therapy
Setting aside my professional role, I have an intimate familiarity with sorrow. Grief counseling is not only a foundation stone of my career but also a significant chapter in my personal narrative. My academic background is rooted in Crisis Counseling, and this, in conjunction with specialized training and certifications in grief counseling, has equipped me with a profound understanding of the essential nature of support during mourning: presence. The labyrinth of grief often presents as daunting to many; the uncertainty of what to say, the desire to mend the irremediable, and the unease surrounding death and loss can paralyze even the most well-intentioned. Those immersed in bereavement may find themselves adrift, engulfed by a sense of hopelessness, and, lacking an understanding of the grieving stages, at a loss to explain their emotions and actions. While grief adheres to no strict timetable and prescribes no correct or incorrect manner of passage, certain approaches can facilitate a more healing experience than others. The journey through grief is just that—a passage that must be traversed, and obstacles such as inadequate support, negative coping mechanisms, and unresolved trauma can hinder or prolong this vital process. The remedy often lies in the company of someone who offers steady presence, empathy, understanding, and unconditional acceptance; occasionally, when words fail, this supportive silence speaks volumes. Similar to the transformative power inherent in shifting perspectives within other therapeutic frameworks, a change in outlook within the context of grief counseling can be a potent catalyst in alleviating anguish and pain.