Therapists in Grand Rapids, MI

I can be most helpful with clients who want relief, who are struggling with life changes, or who want to focus on personal growth. Symptoms can include anxiety, depression, and relationship issues. I bring to the process understanding, encouragement, and clinical practice skills attuned to your needs. At times it is important to seek assistance and support in coping, making changes, or finding your way through a difficult experience. Please call or email with questions about getting started.

Support, encouragement, and space to breathe. We all need these to get us through life. From the daily anxiety of tasks and relationships to deep trauma. It can feel suffocating. I would like to provide a safe place to heal and process. To hold onto hope when you are unable to have any. To lift you up in support of your goals for yourself and your relationships. I am ready to invest in you. My hope is for us to work together to identify what you need and to find ways to best meet those needs. I specialize in addressing depression, anxiety, relationship struggles, preparation for marriage, post-traumatic stress, and grief.

Since 2008 I have dedicated my career to working in the mental health field. I have worked in private practice, hospital-based counseling, case management, community resource management, and clinical research.

I believe everyone is worthy of dignity and respect, to be heard and seen, free of judgment. My role as your therapist is to be a partner for you as you navigate through your life, offering tools along the way. I primarily work with adolescents and adults in a one-on-one setting via telehealth. My typical clients are those who are experiencing a variety of personal concerns, such as healing from traumatic experiences, wrestling with emotional and mental health concerns, and working through relationship problems or family stress; recovering from suicide attempts, exploring their identities, making career decisions, and much more.

I believe that relationships are at the core of any effective therapy. It is important to me that the children and families I work with feel heard and respected. I am flexible in my approaches and how I deliver therapy. This allows me to be able to focus on the strengths of the child and family. I utilize interests, abilities, and passions to provide services that are engaging, comfortable, and impactful. I believe that children and adolescents thrive best in therapy when they are allowed to express themselves in the way that is most natural for them.

In today's environment, there are so many pressures on individuals, kids, and their parents that sometimes it seems overwhelming. Together we can find solutions to make coping with life's stressors easier and more effective. Therapy can help by having someone to talk with, process the stress, and generate solutions unique to the needs of individuals, children, and families. I believe we can work collaboratively to achieve a positive and supportive place where mental and emotional health can thrive.

Emily is a Licensed Master Social Worker with a focus on treating trauma across the life span, addressing the past in order to help clients live a fuller and more balanced life in the present and future. Emily enjoys working with children, adolescents, young adults, couples, and families. It is her belief that all stages of life come with unique challenges and counseling can equip people with the proper tools to face life’s difficulties with confidence. Emily earned her master’s degree from Western Michigan University and her undergraduate from Grand Valley State University.

At times, life can be difficult to navigate. Managing life's expectations such as work, school, family, and relationships can often leave many feeling overwhelmed. Sometimes we find ourselves needing to reach out for help. Therapy is a way to set goals or address areas of your life that require positive change. I encourage you to take the necessary steps to release yourself from emotional burdens.

If you are feeling overwhelmed or stuck, if issues like anxiety or depression are holding you back, or if your past is getting in the way of the present, counseling can help. Whether you are dealing with new life stressors or ongoing problems, I am here for you. I earned a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling from Western Michigan University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Michigan. I have worked with individuals and couples experiencing a broad range of concerns such as grief, trauma, mood disorders, life transitions, addiction, and relationship conflict.

I 've been in private practice since 1997. Throughout that time I have continued to expand on my knowledge and develop specialties in play therapy, working with the LGBTQ community, substance abuse, and trauma including PTSD. I work with clients experiencing anxiety and depression. I see each client as unique and feel honored to join them in their journey towards health and wellness. I am affiliated with organizations that keep me abreast of evidence-based practices for the unique situations that clients bring to therapy.

*NOW TAKING NEW CLIENTS EMAIL TO SCHEDULE* If you were told you did not matter growing up, through actions or words, this will have an impact on your ability to recognize your worth. Growing up in a home with alcohol abuse, homophobia, emotional abuse, or excessive criticism can lead to feelings of worthlessness, shame, and self hatred. You may seek validation from others and fear their disapproval. This often leads to putting others needs before your own. Not understanding your worth, you may struggle following your dreams or have a career where you feel overworked and under valued. Lets flip the script and heal your wounds.

The relationship between you and I is a key component of your treatment outcome. I believe that this therapeutic relationship is founded in a spirit of collaboration, an emotional bond and an agreement on goals and tasks. Two main characteristics of therapy are critical to the building of this therapeutic alliance: expertise and empathy. I am confident in my ability to help resolve any issues in a satisfying manner, prepared in both theory and practice, clear in my thoughts, ideas, and logical in the problem solving process. Of equal importance, I am accepting, understanding and genuinely interested in you and your needs.

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