Mary Moonen
Mary Moonen
Hi! I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and a Certified Addictions Professional. For the past 30 years, I've had the privilege of serving clients of different ages, backgrounds, in a variety of settings. I assist Individuals, Couples, Families, Groups, and even Communities when needed, offering both short term and long term counseling. I am licensed to diagnose and treat many issues, such as Mental Health issues, including Substance Abuse. I have advanced training in PTSD, Critical Incident Stress Management, and work with all types of traumas, including abuse, grief, as well as assisting Communities during manmade/ natural disasters, or acts of violence that require interventions on a larger scale. For the past 20 years, I have specialized in assisting have served First Responders, Firefighters, EMS, and Law Enforcement Officers, who were involved with 9/11. I am very dedicated to assisting Medical Staff, and other local heros who selflessly look after our safety and well being. Before entering Private Practice, for many years, I worked in Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Agencies, Psychiatric Centers, Nursing Homes, and Homeless Shelters. I have extensive experience working with people who have Disabilities, and Chronic Medical Issues. I became proficient at American Sign Language , I help clients learn their rights under the American with Disability Act to learn how to request accessible goods and services. My commitment to YOU, is that if for any reason, I cannot assist you, I will do everything I can to connect you with another therapist or other resources. It is MY honor to serve you.
Get to know me
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
In the first 3 sessions the focus will be primarily on learning about YOU. The intake appointment will be the time where I can assess your situation, and determine the most appropriate type of care you need. The follow up appointments sessions are used to ensure you feel comfortable , and ready to set some goals. I believe clients and therapists should be a "Team." I collect as much informations about your background as I can, as well as assessing your strengths. I encourage clients to be completely honest with me, at every step in the process, knowing that THEY are the Client, the, "Customer", and they have every right to decide what types of techniques or ideas that they prefer. I do not ever force someone to talk about painful issues if they aren't ready, but we look at ways of exploring what makes them feel more comfortable, and pace our work. I share pros and cons of each technique, and brainstorm options of potential coping skills that suite them best. **** Pls note based on your answers, if for any reason I can't be the one to assist , I will help you find appropriate resources, such as asking Grow Therapy Customer Support to assist you. If you are experiencing a medical crisis, in need of Detox, or demonstrate high risk factors for harm yourself or others, pls seek IMMEDIATE CARE-call 911, or Crisis Hotline by dialing 988. Or you can go to your local ER for assistance.*** I look forward to meeting you and I believe your going to explerience some feelings of relief, and are confident in pursuing treatment with me.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
I provide counseling in a very relaxed way. I ask clients to please just talk naturally, as if I was a friend, using any language that best communicates their feelings. I don't judge anyone's lifestyle. I use appropriate humor, and will relate with them as a fellow human, not as the "almighty therapist" with all the answers and using jargon.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
I am best able to help people suffering from Mental Health Issues, Substance Abuse, and anyone who has experienced trauma. I enjoy working with First Responders, Military, and Medical Staff who face unique stressors as they are the"helpers" yet they are HUMANS first and foremost, and deserve to have the best treatment and compassion as they so selflessly help others. I particularly enjoy working with loved ones of those having any of these issues, as they too suffer, and are often at their wit's end, have tried to help, but perhaps their loved one is not accepting the help.
About Mary Moonen
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VirtualMy treatment methods
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy offers numerous benefits and is helpful for a variety of Mental Health Issues, including depression, anxiety, trauma, to name a few. The technique can often help reduce some with physical symptoms associated with stress. I can help you identify your feelings, thoughts, or beliefs that influence your behaviors you aren't happy with. It's actually quite simple, and there can be very fast results depending on the specific issues you are seeking help with. Once you learn these techniques, you will develop coping skills that you can apply to many areas of your life, well after the therapy has ended.
EMDR
EMDR (Sorry, I dislike the name as it is a mouthful, hard to remember, it means "Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing.) When people call me for help with trauma, I let them know there are SEVERAL techniques that can help them, and one of the techniques is EMDR. But, bear with me, and I will explain why this type of treatment is extremely helpful to so many who have suffered trauma. First of all, it has been extremely well researched, and is used in many trauma centers, especially with Veterans, Law Enforcement, Fire/Rescue, and anyone in the community that has experienced trauma. It is called EYE MOVEMENT Desensitization Reprocessing and initially involved using relaxation strategies such as deep breathing, imagining a " safe place" while the client was asked to follow the therapist's specific hand movements with their eyes. In this state of relaxation, it was easier for clients to let difficult memories surface, and created the safety to cope with the feelings. Over the years, therapists found other ways to do this technique but without having client's eyes focusing on hand movements. They found they could also use a specific tapping method that the clients could use as a coping skill in between sessions to help regulate their emotions. I have advanced training in trauma, and this is one technique out of several that help people. If you make an appointment with me, and find you don't want to try this, be assured there are many other types of treatment that can discuss that may be of help. Helping people with PTSD is one of my specialties, and I have been assisting Veterans, Police, Fire, Rescue, Individuals and even groups in our community for over 20 years.
Interpersonal
Many people find that it's very helpful to talk to somebody else who" really listens" to us, offers us emotional support. It's helpful at times to have an objective point of view who can help us see things in different ways as well as offer a wide variety of coping skills. Sometimes, people just need to vent and get things off their chest but difficult to confide in friends or family members. They may have experienced, or fear they will be judged, are not skilled at listening, offer unsolicited advice, or worse, break their confidences. Having a counselor that you trust can offer tremendous relief, while exploring your feelings, and developing improved coping techniques through a variety of approaches. You and I will work as a team to help you find the best ways that will enrich your life experiences.
Grief Therapy
Grief is something that we are often powerless over. Grief from loosing a loved one can feel overwhelming, and cause significant issues in daily functioning . There are other reasons that some experiences resulting from a loss. We can grieve loosing a relationship, friends, jobs, or life transitions such as the " empty nest syndrome." I am here to LISTEN,. and sit with you while you are in pain. Everyone grieves differently, and I respect how you want or need to heal. I provide education and tangible things you can do to help yourself during these tough times.
Supportive
Supportive therapy is available for anyone who wants to discuss any changes that are going in in their lives, such as " transitional events." Whether they are changes we are happy and excited about, or circumstances have changed in disappointing ways, it's often very valuable to have someone to be there, just for you! You can creat short term goals, and add some tools for stress management in your toolbox.