Hello! My name is Theresa Wallace and I have my License in Clinical Social Work. I specialize in treating trauma and have been trained in EMDR since 2020. I am currently taking on clients who are seeking EMDR therapy to treat trauma, phobias, and generalized anxiety. In my practice with clients I most commonly use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, EMDR (Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) , and Motivational Interviewing. I received my Bachelors in Social Work from Franciscan University in Ohio in 2014, and shortly after completed my Masters in Social Work with a concentration in Integrated Health from Cal State Long Beach in 2016. With my social work background, my clinical lens comes through a systems/person-in-environment perspective, which means our problems are not solely our own in that they are influenced by our environmental systems including work, school, culture, local/national/international policy and legislation, social media and healthcare.

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

In an initial session, I like to thoroughly review informed consent, which takes about 15 - 20 minutes. Clients will have time to explore their own questions about how I practice therapy. I'll then spend the rest of session asking about what brings them to therapy, any current or past aspects of their life that are contributing to making their situation easier or more difficult, and what goals they want to pursue. At minimum throughout the course of treatment, clients can expect to take away practical, tangible tools to help manage anxiety and trauma symptoms. Additionally, I believe my clients take away more understanding of their own thoughts, feelings, how this relates to their past and solutions for their present. I hope clients gain/maintain a belief in their own ability to effectively cope with whatever life throws at them.

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

It's reasonable to expect empathy and compassion from any capable therapist. I take a tailored, structured approach to therapy, and believe in the saying "people who create specific plans get specific results". I won't create goals for you, I'll set them up with you. I don't believe that the therapy process should feel 'mysterious' to anyone, and will take time to provide psychoeducation and explain the approaches I'm choosing, because you are already the expert in your own mental health and I want you to feel confident and capable of being able to manage your mental health.

About Theresa Wallace