LMFT, 8 years of experience
Hello, Hola, Ciao, my name is Angela and I'm Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, and Licensed Mental Health Counselor. I would like to see if we would be a good fit for one and other in therapy. I'm bilingual in both Spanish and English. I have over 8 years of experience working with individuals as young as 5 years old, to individuals in their golden years of life. I have lived half my life in Las Vegas, Nevada, and the other half in South Florida. In my free time I enjoy spending time with family & friends, exploring gardens/nature, playing tennis, and watching films.
The first session is a more structured session compared to future sessions. The intention of the first session is to: answer any questions that you may have, go over what you can expect from the therapy process (the amount of time of a session, my role as the therapist, policy about late/no show, that it is a normal feeling that when we participate in therapy sometimes we may leave the session feeling happy, or more pensive about the topics that were discussed) the rules of confidentiality, go over the questions from the biopsychosocial (intake), if we have enough time create a treatment plan (the goals/road map for therapy), and potentially scheduling for the next session. The questions from the intake are insightful for both the client and therapist, because it helps each of use to gain more insight about your strengths, areas of growth, and life experiences.
Strengths that I have been told by others that I possess and that I'm aware of in myself include: my ability to help others to feel safe to open up, I support others in learning how to be curious about their thoughts/actions so that they may learn more about themselves, I highlight the positive attributes that each person has, and I educate clients to learn new tools and information that can help them on their life's journey. I feel that I invite each person to be their authentic self, and to use gentle humor when dealing with some challenges.
The clients that I would be best positioned to serve include individuals: who are new to the world of therapy and would like to give it a chance, those who are exploring their career goals/interests, people going through life transitions, and preteens/teens/young adults (navigating academic concerns, friendships/dating). Concerns that I also would enjoy supporting clients in include things such as feelings of anxiety/stress, grief, sadness, shame, disappointment, and so forth.
Each individual is the expert of their life and has an innate desire to feel accepted, worthy, and respected. A common human phenomenon is experiencing feelings of shame, guilt, and not feeling enough. When we learn to be compassionate with ourselves that is the gift that we also get to share with others whom we have relationships with.
I have a certification in TF-CBT. This is an evidence-based, trauma-sensitive psychotherapy model used for children and teens. TF-CBT follows the PRACTICE model. P- Psychoeducation and Parenting Skills, Relaxation, C-Coping Skills, T- Trauma Narrative, I-In Vivo exposure to trauma reminders, C-Conjoint Parent-Child Sessions, E- Enhancing Safety Skills
Solutions come in many "different forms": results, lessons learned, knowledge gained, wisdom, changes in behavior, changes in perspective, and changes in thought patterns. The solution-focused approach helps individuals to highlight their: current strengths, internal resources, external resources, editing their current mental/emotional narrative of a situation/chapter in their life, and focusing on systems of change (goals).
From the Christian Faith perspective, having a relationship with God changes everything. When one is able to lean on their faith some of the resources they may use consist of: turning to the bible (the written word), attending a church (a community in which they get to grow in their faith, and connect with others), participate in a bible study (connecting with others that may share similar values, and want to uplift others), or spend time conversing with God (through prayer, reading a devotional, etc.). Christian Counseling is a recourse to help individuals to use both biblically counseling, and psychological counseling together.
Knowledge is power. "We only know what we know." Hence the more that we know, the more compassion, patience, understanding, and confidence can we have to support ourselves and others. I enjoy providing as much education to others as possible, so that individuals may gain more clarity, and know what tools/resources they can use to assist them with their concerns.