LCPC, 18 years of experience
New to Grow
Hi! My name is Stephanie, and I have been in the therapy space for nearly 20 years. In my free time, I love to read, listen to audio books while going for long walks around my neighborhood, write in my journal using photographs and stickers to decorate the pages, and lift weights so I can be prepared to carry my children should the need arise.
Typically, in a first session, I like to get to know my client by asking them to walk me through what a typical day looks like for them - from the time they wake up in the morning until they go to sleep at night. Who they engage with, what they eat, how much movement they get throughout the day. And then we kind of pick apart the day and see where any emotional snags might be, where the struggles might be, and go from there.
After becoming a mom, I struggled a lot with postpartum depression and anxiety, and finding myself separate from being "just" a mom. In my therapy work, I organically gravitated towards working with other women (as well as men who have just become new parents) navigate the wonderful and strange new world of being a new parent, and have sort of built a niche out of this population.
I have worked with a wide array of clients over the years, in many different settings, from hospitals to residential treatment centers, and have found that my most successful connections with clients happen when the client is actively participating in therapy and genuinely wants to be there. You've come here for a reason, spending your time and money - these sessions are YOURS, and you know yourself best, and I like the client to take the lead in sessions, as they do know their story best. I am here as a guide and to help point out patterns and new paths the client may not be able or ready to see on their own.
I use DBT to help clients with mindfulness and some more basic skills.
I use CBT more often to help with cognitive distortions or other distresses