I am licensed Clinical Social Worker in Virginia with 6 years of professional experience. I am a mother to three adult children and a Mimi to my two young granddaughters. As a child, I always wanted to be a therapist and have always held a deep love for people. I love nothing more than to help people to process their lives and make changes that lead to peace and happiness. I see therapy as a way to encourage you to invest in yourself and I work as a cheerleader/guide in your life. I feel that it is a gift to walk through the darkest days of people's lives and to have the honor of watching them walk out the other side, stronger and more resilient.

What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?

During our first appointment, I will want to hear your story. I will work to get to know you and ascertain how I can help. We will work together to create a plan that centers around YOUR wants and needs. For my couples, I will want to hear the story of your romance, how did it start and what now stands in the way. As we progress in therapy, we will find new areas of strength and those of weakness. We will find the "why" in your behaviors and work to develop coping skills. We will find ways to utilize your strengths to help you walk through the hard seasons of your life. For some, long term therapy will be needed. For others, it may be a short term process. My goal will always be to help you to get to a place where you no longer need me.

What treatment methods and tools do you utilize?

I chose to use empathy to understand your situation and your unique needs. I often utilize cognitive behavioral therapy to look at how you look at yourself, learn about your internal dialog, and to help you learn to think in a more positive manner. Depending on your unique situation, I use solution based therapy to help you walk through difficult situations in your life. For trauma, I use talk-therapy to process the event(s), narrative therapy to help you gain a new understanding of the events, grief therapy to help you to process the effects of the event(s) and then acceptance and commitment therapy to help you put the event in your past so that it will not continue to effect your future. For couples, I work to help you learn how to improve your communication and how to love each other.

Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.

My biggest strength is often my ability to help you feel comfortable in the therapy setting. Therapy needs to be a place that allows you to feel free to be completely honest and to feel that you are perceived in a non-judgmental way. I work hard to validate your feelings and to encourage you in your goals. I know it takes a lot of courage to request therapy and I work hard to ensure that you not only feel that it is beneficial, but also that it is a appointment that you look forward to. I work to encourage you, challenge you and to support you in any way I can.

About Crystal Linkous

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