Hi! I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker practicing in North Carolina. I received my Master's Degree in Social Work later in life with an undergraduate Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology/ Minor in Criminal Justice. My professional career history is working with at-risk children, teens, families, and adults over the past 15+ years. I've worked within homes, schools, residential facilities, military installations, and community based programs. I'm currently focusing on providing individual therapy within a variety of mental health disorders.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
In our first session together, we'll start with brief introductions to build rapport as well as to determine if this is the right fit. The right fit means getting a feeling of comfort for a safe environment to grow. If you decide to move forward with me as your therapist, we'll explore past and current experiences, challenges/ barriers as well as strengths in several domains. This helps me remain mindful of your experiences so that I can provide any trauma informed care to create a tailored treatment plan for us to work through in follow-up sessions.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
What makes my therapeutic approach unique is that my grass roots professional experiences involved direct trench work. My very first "jobs" in my field of study was physically living with and guiding groups of youths throughout their day to day activities. I progressed as a residential therapeutic counselor, supervisor, family worker and program director at two different very primitive outdoor/wilderness camps. This taught me how to really meet and experience people as and where they are while assisting them to maximize their untapped abilities towards success.
Additional strengths learned during and since has also taught me how to be patient, calm, mindful and insightful during crisis situations to produce healthier outcomes. I've not only learned how to teach others how to think outside of the box but I apply the same approaches and strengths to my own life. Flaws, mistakes and adversities can be overcome with determination and the accumulation of guidance and support from trustworthy and caring individuals.
About Dora Eller
Appointments
Virtual
My treatment methods
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I have learned how to effectively use CBT strategies with youths as well as adults over the last 20+ years. I teach people how to identify, develop and use more productive coping and problem solving skills that challenges and eventually changes unhealthy thinking, problematic emotions, and behaviors. This is also reinforced with occasional homework assignments to reinforce learning.
Solution Focused Brief Treatment
Through the use of Solution-Focused Brief treatment strategies, I assist and teach youths and adults with assessing and understanding individual strengths as well as identifying unique barriers to overcome life stressors.
Trauma Informed Care
Incorporating Trauma Informed Care involves implementing finesse of empowering others to find their voice while exploring past or present traumatic experiences if/ when deemed appropriate. The goal is to avoid re-traumatization in an emotionally safe environment through the use of psycho-analytic approaches to validate unrecognized vulnerabilities that may continue to influence thoughts and behaviors.
Motivational Interviewing
My experiences with motivational interviewing began over 15+ years ago as a forensic interviewer. This involves creating and maintaining rapport while implementing but not limited to the following strategies: Asking more open-ended questions; providing affirmations of self-efficacy, hope, and confidence in the ability to change; active and reflective listening; and summarizing what has been shared to confirm listening, reframing and genuine interest of the client's perspective with a lack of judgement.
Psychoeducation
In all of my years of implementing behavioral health services, it has always been very important to provide Psychoeducation from start to finish. This approach involves but is not limited to thoroughly informing and explaining information surrounding diagnosis and symptom criteria as well as the variety of beneficial treatment methods. This information/explanation is provided on the client's level of understanding (laymen's terms). This also includes providing other supporting resources (leaflets, podcasts, videos and/ or homework exercises) that may motivate the client to find out more for themselves to continue progress if/ when therapy is no longer needed.
