LCSW, 6 years of experience
My name is James Clark and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) based in California providing therapy through tele-health throughout California. I work with adults and specialize in depression, anxiety, trauma, and addiction through the use of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness, and Schema Therapy. I believe that a strong therapeutic relationship and mutual understanding are key to reaching my client’s goals.
Our first session will consist of us creating an initial connection and talking about what motivated you to start therapy. We will talk about how you have been feeling recently and I will ask you some questions to better understand you. Everyone shows up to therapy differently, so my main goal is to just listen so I can better understand what it is you're looking for.
My priority is that my client's feel heard, understood, and respected. I do this by making sure that my clients are "in the driver seat" during the entire session. I make sure to foster an environment that allows my clients to feel safe enough to speak about what's on their mind freely without a fear of judgement. Although we may cover some heavy topics, I believe it is equally important that we celebrate your victories and positive experiences as they happen.
My focus is aligned with adults ranging from 18 to 65 or older, regardless of their background, identity, or beliefs. Typically, I work with individuals who have substance use issues, depression, anxiety, anger, emotional trauma, communication issues, or some combination of above. I work with my clients to better understand how they are thinking and feeling, so that they can take back control of their lives, and achieve a self-nurturing and fulfilling life.
I implement a Cognitive Behavioral approach to my practice to help my clients identify automatic thought patterns and behaviors that prevent them reaching their full potential. If appropriate, we will use this approach in our sessions to build awareness on how your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors affect each other. We will use that knowledge to shift your thinking patterns, which in turn will help reduce anxiety, stress, and depression.
Mindfulness is a powerful tool that helps clients manage difficult emotions and stress on a day to day basis. Through the use of grounding and non-judgmental observation we can work towards you feeling more focused, in the moment, and in control of your feelings.
People create their sense of self and the world through core beliefs that they have developed over the course of their lives. These beliefs can be either self limiting or self empowering. Once someone understands the impact their beliefs have on their lives, they can make the decision to enforce these beliefs or shift them into more useful ones.