Therapists in Kalamazoo, MI

Do you feel as if your life is unmanageable? Are you struggling to manage your life as is? It’s no secret that life doesn’t fight fair. At times, it can seem that nothing goes the way we really want it to, no matter how well we plan. Fortunately, we were built to adapt and recover quickly. It is our own resilience that dictates what happens next and not life’s quirkiness or unpredictability. I collaborate with adults 18 and older to successfully manage life using healthy responses and sustainable coping skills. I have assisted individuals with addictions, complex-trauma, and personality disorders for 5+ years.

As an integrative therapist, I’m here to help you feel whole again. If you struggle with trauma or other experiences that are difficult to let go of, I’m here to help you reconnect all your parts and come together as a whole person. Through our treatment together, you’ll be able to recognize the resiliency within you that is needed to take on life’s challenges and heal from those challenges you have already faced. All your parts will be welcomed with open arms and nonjudgement, understanding that the experiences you have had have led you to where you are today. I know that you are doing the best you can and want to do better.

I approach each session with a nonjudgmental, empathetic, and listening ear. Through my work, I invite you to explore outside your comfort zone to realize the abundance of possibilities that may exist for you. Because all relationships go through ups and down, I will offer support to examine how you can focus on personal development while, also introducing techniques that will improve your relationships with yourself and others. I feel it is important to meet people where they are at but still encourage goal setting. When working with clients, I look at how past experiences, including trauma, affect their current experiences.

I provide individual psychotherapy to clients who are experiencing distress in their lives. This includes children, adolescents, adults, and families struggling with issues such as depression, anxiety, mood disorders, life changes, and a wide range of psychosocial stressors. I am a graduate of University of Central Florida, Clinical Mental Health Counseling program, a top ten program in the nation. I have experience working in private practice and residential facilities treating severe and persistent mental illnesses. We will work together in defining your goals and figuring out how to approach obstacles you may be facing.

My goal with anyone interested in counseling is to "meet you where you are at ". Feeling comfortable with your counseling experience is very important to me. With therapy, it is essential to provide non-judgmental feedback with an understanding that everyone is unique regarding their therapeutic needs. I am here to offer you a multidisciplinary approach regarding your concerns, rather than a "one size fits all approach". We investigate together the concerns that brought you into counseling with the idea of working together to sort out the important details. Bringing yourself to the origin of your concerns is the goal.

Asking for help can be difficult. At Acacia, we understand that entering therapy can be a big step and how important it is that you feel respected, seen and heard. Our experience includes helping children, adolescents, adults, and families navigate difficult times in their lives. We work to help them feel empowered to make changes in their relationships, careers, or personal goals. Together, we will develop a treatment strategy that focuses on the issues and changes that you identify and are ready to address.

For 20 years, I have been helping clients build upon strengths and face challenges to achieve their goals of therapy. As a licensed professional counselor I utilize the evidence based therapeutic approach of Cognitive Behavior Therapy as a basis for reducing suffering and achieving specific goals. Mindfulness and other coping techniques are incorporated to help address emotional suffering and to help tolerate environmental stressors to create a more balanced, tolerable life.

Mandala Counseling and Consulting PLC offers something different from the "treatment as usual" therapies. We help you target and understand problems that get in your way. We give you concrete, usable, effective tools to use in the everyday. And we don't just focus on problems. We help you move toward a greater sense of wellbeing, empowerment and joy. Approaches used are backed by research and are evidenced based. You CAN make tangible changes in life without spending years of therapy. If you struggle with balance or the "normal hard problems of life" to severe emotional dysregulation, we can help.

Your Journey is Yours to Tell. It is important to me that your voice is heard when telling your truth. I am a firm believer that you are the expert of your own life. We will work together to create a plan based on your identified needs and goals. I am not here to tell you how to move forward, but rather joining you on your journey of re-inventing and re-structuring yourself. I desire to push you out of your comfort zone yet within your safe zone. Your desire to alter your current state of mind will be the driving force through treatment.

Sometimes life doesn't go the way we planned. At times we are faced with obstacles that can leave us feeling stuck and unhappy. This can lead to depression, anxiety, anger, grief, and many other emotions. You may even feel your life is unmanageable or out of control. However, you are not alone. Let us help you discover a way to a brighter future filled with happiness and hope. Our licensed therapists specialize in helping people afflicted with addictions, depression, anxiety, fears, anger, mood disorders, life changes, and trauma. To see all the bios and photos of our therapists visit us at https://serenesolutions.net

It is my belief that quality of life is promoted by breaking through barriers that prevent wholistic growth of the the individual and/or family unit. Thus, it has been my professional goal to empower individuals, families and communities over the last 20 years from my clinical and educational experiences. My clinical expertise covers the following: Impulse Control Problems, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Sexual Addictions, Mood Disorders, Attention Deficit Disorders, Learning Disorders, Domestic Violence, Sexual Victimization, Crisis Intervention, Conflict Resolution, Bully Prevention, Anger Management, Family Preservation/Reintegration, Parenting, Stress Management and Assessment/Diagnostics.

Many people who are exploring counseling for the first time are understandably uncomfortable with the idea of opening up about their life to a stranger. In my view, the key to establishing a helpful therapeutic relationship begins with building trust with my clients through a “team-work” approach to therapy. Additionally, my engaging and light-hearted personality helps my clients feel more comfortable processing difficult matters. Therapy then starts to feel much less awkward and more like having “real-talk” with someone you know.

My first priority is to help you feel comfortable and acknowledge how commendable it is you're taking these steps. My approach is unique because I welcome all feelings into the therapy process, especially guarded or skeptical ones. I welcome clients who seek therapy for a variety of topics, including anxiety, depression, bipolar, substance use, trauma, relationship difficulties, insomnia, and forming life goals. I work with adolescents and adults of all ages.