I’m a licensed mental health counselor dedicated to helping individuals navigate life’s challenges and achieve personal growth. I specialize in working with clients dealing with anxiety, depression, life transitions, and relationship difficulties. My approach is tailored to each person’s unique needs, using evidence-based techniques to support you in finding clarity, building resilience, and reaching your goals. My goal is to create a safe, empathetic space where you can explore your thoughts and feelings and build skills to create meaningful change in your life.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
In our first session, you can expect the following: 1. Introduction and Building Rapport: We will start by getting to know each other. I'll introduce myself, explain my approach to counseling, and invite you to share your own background. Building a comfortable and trusting relationship is key to effective treatment. 2. Exploring Concerns and Goals: I will ask about the specific issues or challenges that led you to seek therapy. This might include discussing your current struggles, past experiences, and what you hope to achieve through counseling. 3. Assessment and History Gathering: To understand your situation better, I will gather information about your personal history, including relevant medical, psychological, and social factors. This helps me tailor my approach to your unique needs. 4. Discussing Treatment Options: I’ll provide an overview of potential therapeutic approaches and interventions that might be helpful for you. This includes discussing how we might work together to address your concerns. 5. Setting Goals and Expectations: We’ll discuss your goals for therapy and set some initial objectives. I’ll also outline what you can expect from the therapeutic process, including confidentiality, session structure, and any homework or exercises that might be involved. 6. Answering Questions: You’ll have the opportunity to ask any questions you might have about the therapeutic process, my methods, or anything else on your mind. 7. Next Steps: We’ll determine the frequency of sessions and schedule your next appointment. If there are any immediate steps or resources I recommend, I’ll provide those as well. The first session is an opportunity for you to start feeling comfortable and to lay the foundation for a productive therapeutic relationship. It’s also a time for us to ensure that we’re a good fit and to clarify how we’ll move forward together.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
As a mental health counselor, my greatest strengths include: 1. Empathy and Compassion: My ability to deeply understand and empathize with clients’ experiences creates a safe and supportive environment. This empathetic approach helps clients feel heard and validated, which is crucial for building trust and effective therapeutic relationships. 2. Active Listening Skills: My skills in actively listening to clients means that I will be fully engaged with you and the concerns you bring to counseling. This is experienced as being asked insightful questions and engaging in self-reflection—helping you to understand your concerns and needs fully. 3. Flexibility in Therapeutic Approaches: My proficiency in using a range of evidence-based therapeutic techniques allows me to tailor my approach to your unique situation. This adaptability ensures that interventions are aligned with your individual goals and preferences. 4. Strong Communication: My clear and effective communication helps in explaining complex concepts in an understandable way. This ability to communicate well supports you in understanding therapeutic ideas and feeling comfortable sharing your thoughts. 5. Commitment to Personal and Professional Growth: My dedication to staying informed about the latest research, techniques, and best practices in mental health counseling reflects a commitment to providing high-quality care. This ongoing development ensures that your therapy remains current and effective. 6. Problem-Solving Skills: My capacity for creative and practical problem-solving helps you in identifying and implementing solutions to your challenges. This strength supports you in making tangible progress and overcoming obstacles to your goals. 7. Respect for Client Autonomy: My respect for your autonomy and your right to make your own decisions fosters a collaborative therapeutic relationship. This respect is meant to empower you and encourage your active participation in your own personal growth and healing process. These strengths combine to create a supportive and effective counseling environment where you can feel valued, understood, and motivated to work toward your goals.
About Jennifer Moga
Specializes in
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VirtualMy treatment methods
Integrative
I am at my core an integrative, humanistic, person-centered therapist. Just as no two clients are the same, I believe that no singular method of therapy is best for every client and that therapy is most effective when multiple techniques are incorporated together to best meet the individual need of the client. When working with clients, I utilize a foundation of person-centered humanistic therapy layered with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), rational emotive behavioral therapy (REBT), mindfulness-based (MBT), relational, supportive, strength-based, mind-body, and existential therapy approaches. I also regularly incorporate culturally sensitive therapy, trauma informed care, and psychoeducation as foundational therapies to the treatment I provide. When able and appropriate, I also utilize faith based Christian therapy when the client identifies their faith as a large component of their value system and desire this to be included in their treatment. My experience with the integrative treatment method is that clients appreciate and benefit from a tailored approach to their treatment. When treatment meets the clients needs, they make greater insights and have improved treatment outcomes.
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
I have been utilizing acceptance and commitment therapy with clients for several years to treat a variety of concerns. ACT is an empirically supported treatment for anxiety, depression, OCD, and chronic pain. Through acceptance and commitment therapy, client's learn to accept that uncomfortable emotions can be a part of life and are an appropriate response to certain situations. Clients learn to stop avoiding difficult feelings and instead accept them as a part of the whole human experience. This acceptance creates space for allowing clients to learn that difficult feelings need not stop them from moving forward. Clients then explore their personal values and goals, then commit to making the behavioral changes necessary to live a life guided by those values and goals. Clients build resiliency and psychological flexibility.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
Cognitive behavioral therapy is the most studied and most empirically supported therapeutic treatment approach. It has been shown to be an effective treatment for anxiety and depression, as well as many other psychological concerns. As such, I utilize CBT as a core component of treatment with my clients. Through CBT, you will learn how your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are related. You will learn how to discern helpful vs unhelpful thinking patterns and behaviors. You will learn to confront your anxious and/or negative thoughts and behaviors and replace them with more healthy options. With CBT, you will also engage in psychoeducation and insight-oriented therapy. You will be challenged to self-reflect and learn and practice new skills on our path toward meeting your personal mental health goals.
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, as the precursor to CBT, shares many concepts with CBT, but is distinct in several ways. We will utilize REBT alongside CBT to help you build insight into and challenge your irrational thoughts, behaviors and core beliefs. You will learn to identify automatic thoughts stemming from irrational core beliefs. We will work toward greater self-acceptance of ourselves as a whole. We will also learn that events are not the cause of our emotions and behaviors, but instead our perception and beliefs about the event, derived from our core beliefs, trigger an emotional response which in turn triggers a behavioral response. Through exploration of your core beliefs, emotions and behaviors, you will learn to take more self responsibility for your mental wellbeing.