About Me
My Philosophy
The initials in CLS Counseling and Consulting services are two-fold. Not only does it stand for the initials of my name, but it stands for Creating the Life You Seek. As a young child, my parents always reminded me to "Speak things into existence." In other words, If we want something we have to first manifest it through our words. Words have power. What we tell ourselves have power. For many, being able to think and speak positively is not natural. It means having to train yourself to think positive even when faced with not-so-positive experiences or people. Through my services, I will help you break the patterns of dysfunction and negativity by helping you learn to reframe your language and your thoughts to yield a better and more positive future.
Education/Experience
I received my Bachelor's in Psychology at Spelman College then went on to receive my Master's in Clinical Psychology at Argosy University - Atlanta. I currently uphold my license as a Licensed Professional Counselor through the state of Georgia.
I have over 10 years of experience providing counseling services in a variety of settings including private practice, mental health hospitals, outpatient mental health agencies, the Georgia Crisis and Access Line and managed healthcare. In my various roles I have worked with families, couples, children, adolescents and adults providing outpatient counseling, crisis de-escalation and utilization management services.
What to Expect
The first session is considered the intake session. There will be intake paperwork that you will need to complete, and we will go over topics such as payment, the therapeutic relationship and informed consent. I will also get information from you on what brought you into therapy, your background/history and what you expect to achieve. This session is scheduled for 75 minutes due because so much happens during the intake session. The subsequent sessions are scheduled for 50-minute blocks and will focus on your presenting issues while oftentimes examining your history to help you understand and heal from its impact on your present life. The number of sessions needed vary greatly and depend on the needs of each person. At minimum, I ask for an initial commitment of 8 sessions which equates to 8 weeks if sessions are occurring weekly (recommended). We will do periodic check ins to evaluate how our sessions are going and examine if we need to change course.
While the type of therapy I utilize may vary from person to person, the two primary treatment modalities I utilize are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Psychodynamic Therapy. CBT will help you understand the relationship between your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Using CBT techniques we will examine the faulty and irrational thinking we often engage in and learn to challenge these thoughts and replace them with positive ones. The goal is to change our maladaptive thought patterns to improve overall functioning and satisfaction with your life.
So, where do these negative thoughts come from? Psychodynamic therapy allows for an exploration of your past, particularly your childhood. Utilizing this modality I will help you identify patterns in your emotions, thoughts and beliefs in order to gain insight into how this affects your current self. The aim is to help you identify important pieces of who you are and to utilize this insight to overcome any repressed emotions and negative feeling. This unraveling and discovery process will lead to improved relationships, mood and personal experience.
Both of these modalities go back to the idea that we can create the life we seek by re-framing the way we think about an experience, person or event. We can then use the power of these new thoughts to speak out and manifest what we want in our lives.
Treatment Modality
