I have been a professional social work counselor for around 15 years, working primarily with adults that struggle with severe persistent mental illness. I have been able to utilize and hone my skills of active listening, empathy and guidance over the years to help clients gain resiliency throughout the struggles they may face with SPMI. Over the course of my career thus far, I have worked with clients from varying backgrounds and age ranges of 18 up to senior adults, helping them discover new coping skills and listening to their journey.

What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?

The first session will be getting to know each other, either by brief history or history of what they may be facing personally that could impact their day-to-day functioning. I will also provide some brief general background to myself and experience, as well as go over how often client would like to meet and duration.

Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.

Some of my greatest strengths are active listening and support the client through supportive feedback as opposed to direct suggestions. I have worked with adults that have been facing all sorts of diagnosis and barriers and have experience in listening or helping to guide all.

Describe the client(s) you are best positioned to serve.

I have worked primarily with adults who may struggle with severe persistent mental illness with a wide variety of diagnoses, backgrounds and age range. Client who benefit from active listening along with acute guidance and suggestions seem to work best with my style.

About Tom Shupe