LCSW, 4 years of experience
New to Grow
My name is Elsa Juall and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with the state of Florida. I have years of experience and a passion for collaborating with neurodivergent populations, LGBTQIA+ folks, and individuals experiencing chronic pain. I specialize in supporting adolescents and adults with LGBTQIA+ identities, chronic illness and pain, ADHD, anxiety, depression, as well as folks going through major life transitions. I completed my Master's degree in Social Work at the University of North Florida and I maintain a certification in Animal-Assisted Therapies in Counseling (AAT-C). I utilize collaborative, Strengths-Based (SBT), Dialectical Behavioral (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral (CBT), and Solutions-Focused (SFT) approaches to therapy. I also integrate expressive arts and Motivational Interviewing (MI) techniques into the clinical setting. While we all endure challenges in life, I feel confident in my ability to support you in optimizing your resiliency. By exploring and building upon personal strengths and the authentic self, I am committed to helping you meet your goals in order to live the fulfilling life that you deserve.
When meeting with a new client, I focus on ensuring client comfortability and building rapport. The first session is intended to be a starting point where you and I will be able to get to know each other and establish trust. During the first session, I will ask you about what brought you in, what has been weighing on you, and what you are hoping to get out of therapy. We will go at your pace, there’s no pressure to share everything at once. My goal is to create a space where you can feel safe, honest, and supported in carrying the weight of things. Beginning therapy and meeting a new clinician are big steps in taking charge of one's life. I want clients to know that it is okay to feel nervous, scared, or intimidated. All of these feelings are natural and normal, it is healthy to acknowledge them. It is my goal to empower folks throughout the entirety of the therapeutic process.
My greatest strength, as a provider, is my drive for caring about and empathizing with others. I am deeply passionate about each person's right to self-determination as well as their ability to be their authentic selves and reach the goals they have in life. Having lived and worked with diverse populations, I have gained experiential knowledge and ample practice of empathy skills. This strength allows me to really connect and collaborate with folks in ways that support self-awareness, patience, critical thinking, cultural competency, and continuous learning. As a clinician supporting the authenticity of others, my own authenticity allows me to build rapport and connect with folks on a human level, helping to meet people where they are. Creativity is another strength often integrated into my practice to support folks in processing emotions as well as exploring strategies for coping, self-care, and improving quality of life. Overall, I am genuinely inspired by the motivation and dedication shown by clients. It is a privilege and honor for me to accompany folks throughout the therapeutic journey. I find it to be truly rewarding to see people grow, advocate for themselves, and reach their mental health goals.
I work best with a diverse range of clients. While I work especially well with adolescents and young adults, I maintain a client-centered approach to therapy so that I can meet all clients where they are. Therapy is a commendable commitment to oneself and I am eager to work with folks who are motivated to be active participants in the therapy process.
DBT is used in my practice to help folks in self-acceptance and changing unhelpful behaviors. We will use DBT to help balance these 2 principles by focusing on self-care, mindfulness, emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness skills.
CBT is used in my practice to help folks challenge recurring thoughts and manage anxiety and/or depressive symptoms. We will use CBT to recognize how your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors influence each other. We’ll then use that knowledge to change unhelpful thoughts and behavioral patterns.
In my practice, Gender-affirming therapy focuses on affirming identities, not trying to "repair" them, and creating a safe space for processing and understanding. We will explore emotions and core beliefs to help develop a secure sense of self. We will also explore care coordination and work on linking you with community resources, if needed. However you identify, the goal is to support you in being your most authentic self!
Psycho-education is used in my practice to educate folks about mental health and treatment options. This modality focuses on skill-building, empowerment, communication tools and educating social supports, maintenance and preventing symptom relapse. I integrate psycho-education into other therapeutic approaches so that clients feel empowered in learning about mental health and managing symptoms and challenges. Knowledge is power and I want you to be an active participant in your care!
SFBT is used in my practice to empower folks in using existing strengths and resources to support in problem-solving and reaching desired outcomes for personal goals. This modality is optimal for clients looking to reach their goals in less than 8 sessions.