Desrene Sesay
Life is a journey with highs and lows, and sometimes, we just need help navigating. I am happy to be part of that with you. I believe that support makes all the difference in a person’s life when they face challenges and provides a safe space that is full of compassion, empathy, and free of judgment. Each person is unique, and worthy of unconditional positive regard and acceptance, regardless of personal circumstances or challenges. By strengthening my relationships with clients, I can better understand their needs and how to support them best. Counseling is a partnership between the client and the counselor.
I believe that support makes all the difference in a person’s life when they face challenges and provides a safe space that is full of compassion, empathy, and free of judgment.
I have an undergraduate in psychology and a master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and I am licensed in the state of Maryland and the state of Florida
First session
In our first session together, we'll start with brief introductions, gather historical information that helps me to understand you, and find out what brought you to counseling. Using this information I can formulate treatment plans to fit your specific needs as we move through the therapy process with each follow-up session
Strengths
Having worked with adults over the past 6 years, I've developed a tried-and-true playbook for helping you (a) identify the root cause of your challenges and (b) create a tailored plan that leads to measurable progress. I use psycho-education to equip my clients so they can leave the sessions and put those skills into practice
Ideal clients
I love working with all adults to help them find purpose, improve confidence, and help them learn emotional regulation skills. I also love to work with families and couples and believe the family unit, once strengthened, has the potential to strengthen each person and society as a whole.
Treatment methods
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
Accepting what is without having to like the situation is an important part of a person's understanding of their emotions and thoughts. We each need to make room for feelings and thoughts that are unpleasant without trying to get rid of them
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
CBT is one of my favorite modalities because it helps us to understand that our feelings and thoughts lead us to our behaviors and if we can address issues at the feelings and thought level then we are in a better position to avoid unwanted behaviors that result from our negative thoughts and feelings
Faith-based therapy
A person's faith is an essential part of their healing. I use faith base with clients that want to incorporate their faith into their therapy journey.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
DBT is a second-level CBT modality so it uses many of the techniques as CBT, but mindfulness is one of its key components and I find that using mindfulness helps clients enjoy the moment they are in rather than allowing anxiety to steal it
Location
Virtual sessions