Addiction Therapists in Shepherdstown, WV

No shame-based, trauma informed, evidenced based treatment focusing on optimal recovery, healing, and wellness;

Time for a new approach? An integrated approach of LENS Neurotherapy, EMDR and "talk" therapy has resulted in rapid improvements for client mood & overall health. LENS (Low Energy Neurofeedback System) "reboots" suppressed areas of the brain impacted by emotional trauma, concussion, illness, toxins/meds... with applications typically lasting seconds to a few minutes. Michael has offered EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing) therapy since 2001, effective for resolving emotional trauma & targeting "stuck" thinking patterns. Changes occur through the "safe space" of the therapeutic relationship & brain-based interventions.

My philosophy of therapy is that it is collaborative, person centered, and strengths-based process that has the ability to transform individual’s lives. Life is about transitions and change, and therapy can provide a safe place to learn skills to cope with these inevitable parts of life. My therapy style is to provide support and a non-judgmental stance to provide a safe place to process life’s difficulties.

We offer a variety of techniques to guide you into creating a pathway to healing and a direction that feels increasingly aligned with your own sense of inner core purpose. Over the years of counseling others, I have developed a specialty in working with depression, codependency issues, dual diagnosis & survivors of abuse. Since relocating to the area in 1999, I have been focusing on working with individuals, families, couples and groups. I lead two therapeutic support groups for women. (Please review group tabs for details.) I am also a dance/movement therapist offering a creative alternative on the therapeutic path.

Most people are Inherently "good," try to act this way, and don't know why this does not result in success, happiness. We will work to learn what interferes: Learning, health, life-stages, guilt, genetics, self-sabotage, traumas. You will make changes to free yourself from the past, so that future choices DO result in success, joy, peace. Since toddlers, we seek to be accepted, be useful; aware of this, you can meet your goals. Seeking help is bravely taking a risk, understandably causing many to be anxious at the 1st session. We'll work at YOUR pace. FOR FAST REPLY: swadams200[AT].com.

“Midway along the journey of our life I woke to find myself in a dark wood, for I had wandered off from the straight path." This sentence encapsulates the feelings many clients bring to therapy, the culmination of years of existential angst, an accumulation of guilt, anxiety, loss, among a myriad of other experiences which have inflicted pain and suffering. My experience working with clients in exploring their unique symptoms, be it depression, anxiety, etc., is to not rush headlong into an immediate remedy of the symptoms, rather the exploration of how these symptoms may be trying to inform in new ways of approaching life.

Searching for a place to look into things that are scary or painful? For my clients, my office is a place of safety, acceptance and understanding. In my office you will be valued and respected. This is how I will treat you, and how I will encourage you to treat yourself. Make no mistake: you will do hard work here. We will look at you and your situation unflinchingly. Change starts with understanding what needs changing, and there is not time to waste. Contact me now: let's look into it together.

Are you struggling at work, in your relationships, not able to maintain the healthy habits you're trying to develop? Take heart, it's not you; it's your wiring. And YOU can change it with Emotional Brain Training (EBT). Research has shown people using this method tend to experience lasting improvements in depression, relationships, blood pressure, weight, and addictions.

As a therapist, my primary goal is to provide a supportive, nonjudgmental relationship to assist you in meeting your goals. Whether you are seeking therapy to heal past wounds or address current issues, my approach is a collaborative one, building upon your personal strengths and resilience. I provide individual, family, and/or couples therapy to address a variety of mental health symptoms, behavioral disorders, and relationship problems.

My approach in counseling is somewhat holistic and eclectic. I believe a supportive counseling environment works to help a client achieve awareness, thus leading to healing and personal growth. My role is to help clients explore their emotional needs and provide feedback. Hopefully, the value will be realized in both behavioral and emotional changes. Under all circumstances, my mission is to treat the client with the utmost regard and honor the human condition as it is. Counseling hours are available most days at your convenience. Often clients are able to schedule an appointment with 24 hours of calling my office.

The journey to be your best self is too important to take alone. So it would be my pleasure to help guide you to a better, clearer tomorrow – mentally, physically, and emotionally. My approach as a psychotherapist is one of understanding where you are now, and then working together to reach the place you desire to be. We’ve all walked a unique life path and had different experiences that shaped us, so my approach is not cookie-cutter at all. I believe in hope, inspiration, and the power of the individual. We are stronger than we realize, but the key to mental clarity and emotional well-being sometimes remains elusive.