Therapists in South Carolina

If you are reading this, you probably never knew or forgot how special you really are. You can discover this! I am a therapist with 22 years of post graduate experience working with children, adolescents, adults, elderlies, couples, parents, and families. I am specialized in assisting children and adults who suffered traumatic experiences alleviate their inner suffering through the use of Internal Family Systems model, combined with psychodynamic theory, mindfulness, and Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. And very unique lately: mindfulness groups for teenagers to assist in coping with overwhelming emotions.

Do you feel like your life is more about the destination than the journey? Do you feel pressure to succeed by going to the "right" college, getting the "right" job, living on everyone else's terms and not your own? Do you find yourself worrying about your kids or teens incessantly and you just aren't sure what to do anymore? Are you having trouble navigating all of the perils associated with social media and your kids? We feel so many pressures in today's world; whether these pressures come from ourselves, our work, our school work, or our parents and friends.

As a social worker, I believe in treating the "whole person". That is, taking a look at how connections between all aspects of one's life play into wellness. I believe in the potential of all individuals to grow and learn and enjoy walking with my clients through the journey of personal improvement. In my career, I have experience in the field of medical social work, intensive in-home treatment for individuals with severe persistent mental illness, and in private practice with adolescents and adults.

I am a licensed independent Social Worker specializing in individual, group, children, couples and family therapy. I maintain a private practice in Sumter, South Carolina and have over twenty years experience as a therapist. My therapeutic approach is to provide support, practical feedback and solution-based therapy to help clients effectively address personal life challenges. I work with individuals to help them build on their strengths and attain personal growth. I am trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. I accept all major insurances including Medicare as well as numerous Employee Assistance programs.

I have many years experience working with adults and children suffering from depression, anxiety, OCD, anger issues, trauma, and abuse. I have also worked in the field of drug and alcohol addiction. After my graduate studies, my primary focus and training was working with children suffering from ADHD, ODD, depression, and anxiety. I used behavioral management coupled with parenting strategies to improve the overall parent/child relationship. I gained incredible knowledge and insight regarding chronic pain as well as grief and loss while working with the elderly population through home health care and hospice.

I work with children with learning, behavioral and emotional needs and their parents. If you are struggling with your child's behavior, feel that your family and friends do not understand your child or are judging your parenting, and have "tried everything," I would like to offer a safe place for you and your child to talk and get support. If you have concerns with your child's learning process and suspect that your child may have a learning disability, ADHD, or Autism, a psychological evaluation can help to identify strengths and weaknesses, factors that impede learning, and may result in a diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

I believe that I am right for the Counseling profession as I have life experiences that helped me become passionate about the people I serve. I am a professional who enjoys learning and will do my best to introduce evidence-based interventions to move an individual's progress forward. I enjoy arts, crafts, reading, and music and incorporate them into my work, so the sessions do not become boring. I believe that I have a gift of active listening where I hear your needs and work with you to achieve them.

I was born in Romania and came to the USA in 2004. As a result, I’m adding a multicultural approach the great journey of the therapeutic process. I have a degree as a special education teacher and have worked for 10 years with a specialty in emotionally disabled children. I also worked as a licensed psychologist in the Romanian Army. Unfortunately, the psychology degree did not transfer in the USA, so I decided to go back to school, pursuing a clinical social work degree at USC. I enjoy working with adults, seniors and families on a variety of issues such as parenting, trauma, complex PTSD, and high functioning autism.

Do you believe in the power of the mind-body connection and your own innate ability to overcome your health and emotional challenges? I am a Clinical Social Worker and Clinical Hypnotherapist. My approach to counseling is holistic; I believe in healing the whole person by tapping into the mind and body connection. I use an integrative approach to therapy, combining cognitive, behavioral, mindfulness strategies, and hypnotherapy. It is my intention to act as a guide on your journey of personal healing, to empower you on your mission of self-love, self-resilience, and self-discovery.

Is your relationship struggling and you are considering couples counseling? All relationships go through rough patches but sometimes we need help from an objective outsider who can offer insight and direction on how to move beyond past hurts and move towards a relationship with better communication and respect for each other's differences. Or is it that you have been feeling so much anxiety, stress, and depression that you feel you have no idea how to manage your daily emotions? We all have times where we need a supportive person and someone to help empower us to get back to our best self.

Are you experiencing depression? Anxiety? Stress? Transition difficulties? You are on the right track to find help and you are NOT alone. I truly believe a therapeutic relationship is the baseline for a successful treatment. My focus is on helping kids, adolescents, adults, and families to overcome life challenges. I see the person as a whole and I can help you heal in a compassionate, non-judgmental and safe environment. I think you are unique with unique qualities and strengths, and I focus my treatment in making you aware of those strengths to become successful in life. I have experience with Hispanic and Latino population.

My therapeutic approach is to provide a safe, non-judgmental space to help clients feel comfortable in starting their journey to a better quality of life. My primary goal is to empower my clients by providing them with the tools and resources necessary to have sustainable, lasting change, so they are not reliant on therapeutic intervention long-term.

I enjoy working with clients who are struggling with issues that are either acute (recent) or chronic (lifelong). I find that it is particularly important to form a working relationship that will focus on a path of discovery that will begin to identify possible solutions. Often problems can be resolved quickly such as parenting issues and sometimes issues are very complex and require examining a thorough history of life experiences from childhood to the present. I am always amazed how my words stick with people for years and years and I believe that a journey of discovery takes many paths and has many time frames.

I work with children, adolescents, adults, and families. I offer individual, family, and couples therapy. Although my treatment orientation is primarily cognitive-behavioral, I often utilize an eclectic approach when best suited for client progress.

My desire is to help those wounded and hurt by life to become whole again. This holistic approach incorporates the mental & physical well-being as well as the social & spiritual well-being of each person. My strengths are a passion to encourage & empower my clients as well as 50+ years of life experience. Since I began a counseling career later in life after working in business and in my most important career as wife and mother, I believe it is never too late to learn, to change, and to grow.

Participating in the transformations of people's lives for 41 years has brought experience with adults and older adolescents struggling with a variety of challenges. Issues with Trauma/PTSD, Anxiety, Depression, Grief, Relationships, Substance Abuse, Addictions, Abuse/Violence, Anger, Divorce and Co-parenting are specialties. I work with marriages, couples, families, individuals and special populations such as Military, Federal, Law Enforcement, First Responders, Health Care Workers /Providers and Corporations. Many who I have treated have commented that they find my direct approach empowering in their search for hope.

I specialize in the child and adolescent population and their families and have done so for 18 years. I specialize in treating individuals with Intellectual Developmental Disabilities and using Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for trauma recovery. In my practice I also treat adults ( who can be seen by other therapists as well as myself within the practice). I collaborate with a psychiatric nurse practitioner for medication management, ensuring comprehensive support for clients.

I work predominantly with adults ages 21-81. About 20% of my practice consists of families or couples. Common themes for therapy are family conflict, romantic relationships or lack of, chronic illness, anxiety and depression.

People in helping professions are natural givers, but our empathy and compassion can’t keep us from becoming over-extended, unbalanced, and burned out. I help people dealing with these issues understand their challenges and rediscover fulfillment from their work and joy in their lives. My other passions include working with people to navigate a wide variety of transition and/or identity-related areas of life, including: aging, LGBTQIA+, relationships, career, and parenting.