I am a LCSW with 6+ years of experience working with both adolescents and adults. I received a BA from UNO and my MSW from Tulane in 2009. I have inpatient and outpatient experience with adults who have suffered from mood and personality disorders; and with adolescents with self esteem issues and poor coping skills. I specialize specifically in treating depression and anxiety disorders in both adolescents and adults. I am also a trained doula/birth specialist and offer therapy to women who are seeking support in pre/postpartum phases.

Over the past three years my experience includes a variety of techniques, assessments, family systems, human growth & development, behavior, trauma, and social-multicultural counseling. Passionate about mental health since seeking my undergraduate degree, I am dedicated to help you overcome life’s obstacles. It is my desire to meet the distinctive needs of my clients. My experience is distinct, ranging from school counseling, general mental health counseling, to substance abuse and addictions counseling. I have worked with diverse client populations and a variety of ages, growth, and development.

I have worked with adolescents and young adults for 21 years and enjoy helping them seek change and solutions to what might be adjustment disorders, stress, depression, or anxiety. I have extensive experience in grief support work, learning issues, self-esteem, developmental changes, and relationship issues. My focus with each client is one of a caring and compassionate manner using a holistic and cognitive behavioral approach to help each individual or family obtain their goal.

"Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom." -Aristotle. Self-awareness is the greatest gift we can give ourselves, this alone can be profoundly healing. I help guide you on your self exploration journey. My mission is to help clients achieve their goals in a safe, accepting environment through a collaborative effort. I work with individuals, couples and families on a variety of mental health issues, including but not limited to stress, anxiety, mood, addiction, trauma, interpersonal struggles, family conflict, grief/loss, self-esteem, finding meaning and purpose, and challenges adjusting to major life transitions.

My office is a safe and judgment free space for personal exploration. Taking the first, and sometimes the most difficult, step of seeking help you will receive my support as we collaborate to better understand solutions that will work best for you. By making a commitment to take the steps needed to improve yourself and your current situation, therapy can help provide you with the tools to face future challenges your life may hold.

I view therapy as a collaborative process and an act of self-discovery. I work with clients to help them better understand themselves and to reach thoughtful and creative solutions to problematic issues.

Sometimes life brings difficult and confusing times. These difficulties typically get easier as days pass. However, there are times, or seasons, in our lives where problems are compounded for various reasons. We may feel overwhelmed and emotionally depleted which affect our quality of life and ability to function. We know that we, or our family, need help from a trained professional. If you are feeling this way, Brighter Days are here! My name is Yanada G. Essex. In 2002, I started a holistic counseling service called Brighter Days, Inc. to bring "brighter days" to you and your family.

Hello, and thank you for considering working with me. The decision to begin therapy is one that can lead to a greater understanding of yourself and can help you to function better in all areas of your life. I approach counseling as a shared experience focusing on building a trusting relationship with my clients and opening doors to greater self-reflection, insight and empowerment. A successful outcome is one in which you leave knowing yourself better and have the ability to lead a more joyous life going forward.

UPDATE: REMOTE (TELEHEALTH) SESSIONS AVAILABLE. There are so many reasons to engage in therapy. In my practice I will provide you with a collaborative relationship so that you can learn to treat yourself with kindness, do the same for those you love, develop tools to tolerate difficult emotions, and gain skills to get what you need from your relationships. We will learn about your strengths and develop coping skills to overcome difficulties so that you are better able to overcome addictions, negative relationships, trauma, depression, anxiety and others.

Unfortunately, I am temporarily not accepting new clients at this time. If you need to reach me please use the email function of this website. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who has worked for over 20 years in the field of social work. I work with tweens, adolescents and adults who are experiencing problems with stress, anxiety, depression or general dissatisfaction in some aspect of life. I also have experience working with issues such as relationship problems, family difficulties, trauma, foster care and adoption.

Everyone goes through difficult situations in life. Sometimes extra help and support are needed to successfully navigate through those challenges. By seeking therapy, you will receive my support while we work as a team to better understand your challenging life situations. If you make a commitment to change and work on improving yourself and your situation, therapy can give you the tools you need to face future life challenges. In a comfortable and supportive environment, I offer a highly personalized approach made to meet the needs of each individual client and/or family to help them achieve personal growth.

**While I am accepting new clients, I only have daytime availability right now.** Recognizing that you cannot handle something on your own takes a lot of courage. My goal is to understand you and what you have experienced in your life that has led to difficult times. I will assist you in identifying what changes can be made in order to lead a happier and healthier life. I view the therapeutic relationship as non-judgmental, safe, and supportive. It's not my goal to tell you how to better your life, but to go on the journey with you and explore how making effective changes can lead to a happier you.

Heal and regulate your brain with our safe, non-invasive and drug free solution. We use BrainCore Neurofeedback to treat the symptoms of ADHD, Autism, Asperger Syndrome, Anxiety and Depression, Concussion Management/TBI, and Insomnia. Many of our clients have struggled with these issues for years, using medications that aren't effective or have side effects that impact the quality of their life. Our clients break free from the sickness model and move toward wellness.

Are you experiencing circumstances, relationships, emotions or behaviors that make it difficult for you to enjoy life’s journey? Therapy provides you with a safe trusting environment in which you feel understood and challenged to explore underlying feelings and issues that interfere with personal fulfillment.

I work with children, adolescents, and adults; and provide therapy for individuals, couples, and families. I have experience working with behavioral issues, anxiety, depression, substance use, co-occurring disorders, bullying, cultural issues, and simply just trying to find your way in life. I offer office visits as well as Video Telemental Health services.

I believe the powerful, healing aspect of therapy exists in the freedom to truly reveal yourself, and to feel unconditionally accepted and understood. My approach to therapy is to foster a warm, empathic relationship where you feel safe to do just that. You may seek healing from past or present painful experiences and emotions or seek freedom from addiction. Perhaps you are trying to come to terms with your own or a loved one’s health condition, or you may want to experience more satisfaction in relationships. Whatever the challenges are that you are facing, I can partner with you in finding your path to healing.

UPDATE: REMOTE (TELEHEALTH) SESSIONS AVAILABLE. Therapy can be instrumental in approaching and initiating change. Whether you are learning to identify and manage feelings or experiencing general challenges or a major life transition, we will work together to build a positive, therapeutic relationship that will help you accept and validate your authentic self.

I think it takes time and collaboration between us to reach the goals you come to therapy with. It's important for me to understand you and what you see as growth and success. Counseling can be an effective way to examine emotional, behavioral & relationship instability and to help understand and manage symptoms related to shame, anxiety, depression, and anger. I believe it's important to have a collaborative relationship with my clients to find solutions to life challenges and explore the patterns that may no longer work for you and help set achievable goals for your wellness and success.

At "Tower of Refuge Christian Counseling, LLC," (located inside of the "New Orleans Growth Center, LLC"), I provide Christian counseling that aids in mental and emotional restoration by assisting my clients in achieving a healthier quality of life, focusing on the mind, spirit and restorative power of Jesus Christ. With the highest levels of client satisfaction - I will do everything that I can to meet your counseling needs by providing therapy in the areas of depression/ anxiety, grief/ loss, stress management, parenting skills, conflict resolution, building healthy coping and communication skills, couples and individual as well as adolescent/ teen counseling.