I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 13 years of experience helping clients. I am a proud Appalachian-American that was born and raised deep in the mountains of Upper Northeast TN. Although my life experience is about what one would expect from this area (cue banjo music), my work experience is vastly different. I have been fortunate to get to work with individuals from all walks of life. I have worked with clients (thanks to the internet) from all over the world, various cultures, religious beliefs, race, gender spectrums and socioeconomic status. One thing I have learned in my work with all of these individuals is that although each of their stories are unique, ultimately, they all seek/want the same core things. I think much of my success in working with a wide assortment of clients is that I attempt to be open, understanding, curious and cultivate a nonjudgmental atmosphere for our sessions. The working relationship between a therapist and their client is a key factor to client’s achieving treatment goals.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
The first time meeting a new therapist can be quite intimidating for a new client. So I attempt to make the first session as laid back and stress free as possible. More often than not, new client's will remark at the end of their first meeting with me "this is not nearly as bad I thought it would be."
Often first the session is spent getting a glimpse of a client's daily life (work, family, friendships, hobbies, etc.). Then we will discuss their purpose in seeking therapy at this time and what they hope to work on/what they want to change. We begin creating treatment goals and objectives from this conversation. Towards the end of the session, I will review general processes such as scheduling, cancellation/no show policies, frequency of sessions and answer any of the questions they may have regarding the therapy process.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
Rather than write a mini essay about my strengths, I'm going to list some adjectives:
Respect
Humility
Curiosity
Compassionate
Adaptability
Reliability
Collaboration
Critical Thinking
Creativeness
Reflectiveness
Solution Focused
Humorous
'Dot Connector'-ess?
Hopefulness
About Thom Barry
Appointments
Virtual
My treatment methods
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I have been through several hundred hour trainings by the Beck Institute (founder’s of the CBT model). This model is used to treat/address a wide variety of problems. I attempt to understand how my client sees their problem(s) and the most bothersome parts about their problem. Once I have this understanding I tailor this model to their specific needs/wants. The simplest way to explain this model to someone new to it: Situations that occur in our lives are not inherently good , bad or in between. Who determines that? You! ——Our thoughts interpret , our feelings call us to action/inaction and our behavior responds. Use of this model often involves working to develop a client’s hindsight, foresight and eventually insight.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
I have been through several in depth trainings in the application of DBT to address a range of issues . DBT is a great tool to utilize with most clients as it’s primary focus is on interpersonal effectiveness, mindfulness based skills, distress tolerance and emotion regulation. Many of the problems that we face in our day to day lives ( severe anxiety, depression, poor impulse control, stress, spousal/relationship conflict, anger issues) would be lessened and/or resolved through client’s using one or a combination of these tools.
Somatic
I have completed several multi day certifications lead by the founder of the ‘Somatic Experiencing’ model Dr. Peter Levine. This model’s primary focus is on the body and how emotions appear within our body. The primary reason this model was developed is with those individuals that have experienced trauma/chronic severe stress but many of the strategies/tools can be adapted successfully for other issues. Our body is like a sponge that absorbs the energy from all of our life experiences. The more negative things that happen to us the more our body has to hold on to. Once it is at ‘capacity’ our emotional pains often will be transmuted to physical ailments.
Solution Focused Brief Treatment
This modality informs much of my treatment style in working with clients. I often say client’s dont come to me with their problems but rather they come to me with their solutions that haven’t worked. Often we can become so consumed with our problems it overwhelms our ability to accurately understand our capacity to enact change. This model is most effective in attaining gains in a much more expedient timeline than traditional therapy methods. Does not mean that the individual’s problems disappear all at once but rather it’s best used to build a sense of confidence and self efficacy to approach bigger issues. Best way to eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
Eclectic
Yeah. Some might refer to my style as ‘eclectic’ which in some sense can have negative connotations. This is a strength as I am a bit of a Swiss Army knife and teach my clients how to become a Swiss Army knife in their daily lives. One doesn’t always feel they need all the tools (like a miniature pair of scissors or cork screw opener) that the Swiss Army knife has to offer until a very specific situation calls for it.
