Stephanie Clark (she/her)

When we experience uncomfortable feelings such as anger, fear, or disappointment, the natural response is to shut those emotions down. But you can’t shut down emotions selectively, and in shutting down difficult feelings, you also shut down feelings that make life worth living. I’ll help you tolerate difficult emotions. You’ll gain healthy copings skills, allowing you to accept your feelings as they are, and you’ll learn to challenge the negative self-appraisal that accompanies depression.

Anxiety is an assault on the body and the mind and has a limiting effect on behavior, yet its roots lie solely in the mind. Anxiety is born of distorted thinking that leads to anxious predictions, negative assumptions, and irrational fears. I’ll teach you grounding and other coping skills to relieve the distress of anxiety while we work together to disentangle you from the distorted beliefs underlying your ceaseless worry and fears.

Too many of my clients' lives have been impacted by abuse, and my primary passion is to help them heal. To that end, I have training and experience in EMDR, an evidence-based technique first developed to treat soldiers suffering from PTSD. I have also had success using cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, and grounding to help clients reconceptualize their traumatic experience and revise their negative beliefs about themselves and their inability to cope.

When we experience uncomfortable feelings such as anger, fear, or disappointment, the natural response is to shut those emotions down. But you can’t shut down emotions selectively, and in shutting down difficult feelings, you also shut down feelings that make life worth living. I’ll help you tolerate difficult emotions. You’ll gain healthy copings skills, allowing you to accept your feelings as they are, and you’ll learn to challenge the negative self-appraisal that accompanies depression.

I’ve been using CBT since I first began counseling as it closely aligns with my own understanding of how emotional distress develops. We’ll take a two-pronged approach. I’ll teach you to challenge negative assumptions and identify distorted thinking in real time so you can find a more balanced way of looking at yourself and your interactions with others. I’ll also encourage you to begin taking risks and building a body of evidence demonstrating success to challenge your negative core beliefs.

I am an EMDR therapist, having trained at the EMDR Institute, founded by Francine Shapiro, who originated the technique. I’ve seen tremendous results with EMDR, but it’s not right for everyone. Before offering you EMDR therapy, I’ll conduct an in-depth assessment and screening. If we choose to move forward, we’ll first spend time preparing a safe and secure foundation for the work to come, and when we begin, you’ll set the pace. Your safety is my primary concern.

I have received training and certification in conducting Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBTC) and find it a wonderful compliment to CBT. Even after we learn to identify patterns of distorted thinking, they don’t simply go away. You’ll use MBTC techniques to help you distance yourself from these self-defeating thoughts and disempower them. You’ll learn the vital skill of emotional self-regulation, and you’ll develop a kinder, less judgmental way of seeing yourself.