LPC, 16 years of experience
Welcome to therapy! I am so glad that you have decided to take this important step to care for your mental health. I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. I have a Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology and I am a Licensed Professional Counselor with over sixteen years in the field of therapy. Throughout my career I have acquired extensive experience working with clients from ages two to one hundred. Taking that first step towards healing may be intimidating but I am available to ease the process. My goals as a professional are being able to fully listen and understand and see my clients for who they are. I am energetic, participatory and inquisitive.
The first session is extremely important but very different from the follow-up sessions. During that first session I do gather plenty of information to start understanding my clients and where they are coming from. It helps me to start thinking and planning for treatment but also to assess where my client is at and where I should meet them. I continue to gather information past the first session but we start to do more hands-on work during the second session.
Connecting with clients is my biggest strength. Having struggled with symptoms of some of the disorders I treat helps me understand my client's struggles. Getting to see the big picture, understanding the core problem, and collaborating with clients to come up with solutions are my target areas.
My ideal clients would come from a place of curiosity and a desire to explore and uncover different areas of themselves such as their emotions and deep thoughts with the intention of increasing their self-awareness and knowledge that drives positive changes. Clients that are actively engaged and take something to implement after each session. Clients who are pro-active in pursuing their peacefulness and contentment in spite of difficult challenges.
Our thoughts have a significant impact on our emotions and behavior. Throughout my work with clients, I focus on increasing the awareness of those thoughts that are keeping them stuck and identifying the relationship between all the three areas and modifying what is not effective in order to pursue positive changes that may result in a more fulfilling life experience.