Mental Health Counselor

These experiences strengthened my desire to become a Licensed Professional Counselor with an emphasis in treating trauma related concerns. 

I have a Master’s Degree in Clinical Counseling with a trauma studies concentration from Eastern University, and am pursuing my licensure. My program promoted the awareness of trauma informed treatment and emphasizes an integrative and client-centered approach to therapy. This aligns with my belief system, as I listen to my clients and focus on building a strong rapport to create a safe atmosphere for individuals where they feel validated, understood, and supported. While my experience thus far has primarily been working with adults struggling with substance use and mental health related disorders, I also have some experience working with adolescents. 

In addition to my graduate studies and prior work experience, I completed basic EMDR training with the Rivers Edge Institute in June 2023. My goal with EMDR is to help individuals safely reprocess traumatic or highly emotional events that continue to have an impact on current functioning. I chose to pursue EMDR training as this therapeutic approach originally came to my attention during my undergraduate and graduate studies. When I spoke about the approach with other providers, professors, and students I heard differing opinions. Some individuals were staunchly in support of EMDR while others doubted its effectiveness. This peaked my interest, and I decided to attend the training to determine my own thoughts and opinions. I learned how EMDR is founded in a large amount of empirical research which continually supports its effectiveness in addressing Trauma, Anxiety/Panic, Phobias, Loss, Relationship Difficulties, Depression, and Low-Self Esteem. It combines many psychological approaches like Gestalt, Behavioral, Cognitive, Psychodynamic, Reichian, and emphasizes client empowerment. This training gave me the opportunity to experience EMDR myself which broadened my understanding and allowed me to immerse myself in the process. I entered the training skeptical, but left fully supporting EMDR’s effectiveness and positive impact. I am also drawn to the benefits of this approach as it allows individuals who do not feel comfortable explaining their trauma, to still be able to safely process such events without providing too many details. 

In my free time I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, as well as doing different hobbies like ice skating, knitting, reading, and walking. I especially enjoy trying new activities that involve creativity and design!