LMFT, 13 years of experience
Hello. I am Linda and I am a licensed marriage and family therapist. I graduated with a Masters of Science degree in counseling psychology in 2011 from California Baptist University. I have been practicing in Riverside for about 14 years. I have worked with people from 5 years old to 82 years old, couples and individuals, families, premarital couples, and from different walks of life.The people that I have worked with have experienced different degrees of healing with a new hope for their future ability to cope and apply new ideas and tools learned in therapy.
In our first session we will get to know each other a little bit and then begin the process of exploring your expectations and goals for therapy. Starting with where you are at, where you are in your healing process, and where you want to be in the future are essential . We will create a plan for therapy and decide how best to approach your healing process.
I have a lot of respect for people who desire to conquer their issues and do the difficult work. Taking into consideration where you have been and what you want to accomplish, you will be given tools and different perspectives which may lead to new behaviors. I am a direct person who speaks the truth in love and never pushes a person to do what they do not want to do. I respect others boundaries. Having been through many difficult experiences in my life, I too have had to overcome trauma, poor choices, anger, depression and anxiety. My personal beliefs in God and the Bible strengthen me and give me the hope that you will be able to overcome the difficulties that seem so big and sometimes impossible to deal with.
I like working with women who have experienced abuse and trauma. It takes courage to share what you have experienced and I feel privileged to be entrusted with your stories and your hope of being able to overcome the adversities, fears, guilt and shame you may have been experiencing. Facing your pain is difficult and it will take grace, truth and time to heal as we tackle your concerns. I look forward to working with each person who is ready to begin the process of healing.
EMDR is eye movemen,t desensitization, and reprocessing. Bilateral stimulation ( through eye movement, tapping or hand held vibrators) is reprocessing negative thoughts and then installing positive thoughts so a person will not be affected by the triggers or situations that may bring on the negative thoughts.
Learning different ways to think about an issue that is more productive, logical, and helpful to you and those around you. Breaking the pattern of thinking so your behaviors may change becoming more effective and helpful to you and those with whom you interact with.
Processing thoughts aloud with validation, rephrasing and questioning as part of the processing can be beneficial in many ways, ie., helping with depression, anxiety, trauma and empowering the person to become more proactive in their own lives.
Using a biblical worldview and Biblical principles that will encourage and help you learn about the promises that are for you and about the God who wants to be an active participator in your life.
Using boundaries education and applying what you learn in a group setting is a beneficial way to put what you are learning into practice in a safe place with others.