Hi, my name is Derrick and as a licensed therapist it is always my goal to create a safe, accepting, and comfortable environment, which is conducive to allowing you, the individual, to grow in self-awareness, self-acceptance, and self-sufficiency. I intend to provide mental health and substance abuse services for children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families from all ethnic backgrounds and nationalities. Initially, it is my goal that we work together to form a mutually desired relationship and focus on our counseling sessions by setting goals, which we will continue to assess throughout the counseling process. My general approach is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Behavioral Therapy, Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT), Reality Therapy, Solution-Focus Therapy, Person-Centered, and Motivational Interviewing. The use of these counseling techniques allows for effective interaction with individuals from elementary school to adulthood. I also believe that there is a spiritual aspect to life that should be recognized and included in addition to the psychological and physiological aspects of counseling. Occasionally, I may incorporate some spiritual guidance into the counseling session, but only with your full consent. I earned my Master’s Degree from Winston Salem State University in Rehabilitation Counseling in December 2011. In the fall of 2011, after passing the national certification examination, the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification granted me certification as a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC). I was granted licensure in the state of Virginia in March of 2023 as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). I adhere to all Virginia Department of Health codes of ethics. I am also a Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist (LCAS) under the North Carolina Substance Abuse Professional Practice Board (NCSAPPB). I adhere to the NCSAPPB Code of Ethics as well. I have been in the Substance Abuse profession for over twelve years coupled with lived experience which gives me a unique perspective in this field. I have attained professional status as a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC) from the NC State Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors. It is my sincerest hope that we develop an open honest relationship based on mutual respect and trust in a nonjudgmental atmosphere. I believe my greatest strength as a clinician is that I listen to hear and understand not just to respond. I fully acknowledge that entering treatment can be a daunting task; my theoretical orientation is a person-centered practice which in essence means that I am genuinely concerned about what brings you into therapy and most importantly how best can I help. Thank you for reading my profile and I look forward to meeting you soon.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is an evidence-based practice that is shown to be effective in treating a myriad of mental health issues. I strive to provide thought-provoking sessions that inspire the resolution of unhelpful thinking patterns. Our therapy sessions will be a collaborative effort in which you, the individual, are the expert who is tasked with teaching me about you and my job as your therapist is to help you elicit the solutions that you already possess internally.
What treatment methods and tools do you utilize?
I engage individuals with an eclectic range of evidence-based therapeutic approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Behavioral Therapy, Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT), Reality Therapy, Solution-Focus Therapy, Person-Centered, and Motivational Interviewing.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
I believe my biggest strengths as a therapist are sincerity, openness, having a nonjudgmental viewpoint, active listening skills, being trustworthy, accepting, and empathetic. At my core, I am a person-centered therapist who believes that unconditional positive regard is the foundation of building a sound therapeutic relationship.