Cherie Spehar, Clinical Social Worker in Apex, 27502

Cherie L. Spehar, LCSW, CTS, CTC

Profession(s):
Clinical Social Work, Mental Health Counseling, Psychotherapy
License Status:
I'm a licensed professional.
Primary License:
Licensed Clinical Social Worker

My Approach to Helping

My therapeutic approach is one of collaboration and genuine partnership in the process. My clients, from our first interaction, know that they will not be "told" what to do, but rather we will find the way together. I believe that people have expert knowledge about themselves, and that a therapist's role is to help them discover it and apply it in meaningful, healthy, healing ways. I also believe that the best course of helping a person is highly individualized, requires therapist flexibility and honoring of a person's natural strengths. This often results in unique therapy plans but with the most effective, non-threatening, meaningful and positive results.

More Info About My Practice

Cherie is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Facilitator, Play Therapist, and Certified Trauma Specialist. A clinician since 1994, she has dedicated her life to the well-being and healing of children, women and families. With her extensive clinical background, her professional path has found her in longstanding roles such as Executive Director of The Child Abuse Prevention Center in Raleigh, NC and Training Coordinator and Developer with the North Carolina State University SocialWork Department. Now, she can be found at her private practice center, Smiling Spirit Pathways, where she has developed a haven for consultation, child and family therapy, and trauma services. There, she also develops children?s groups and facilitates workshops related to resiliency, ?trauma parenting?, and women?s wellness. She also serves as the Lead Blogger and holds teaching roles for The National Institute on Trauma and Loss in Children.

Specific Issue(s) I'm Skilled at Helping With

Specializing in trauma care, life transitions, grief, and attachment, her trauma-informed approach is highly focused on resiliency principles, particularly child-caregiver connections from birth through the lifespan. Her noted expertise in these areas brings her to wonderful opportunities to supervise, teach, train, and speak on these areas locally and nationally. An author of multiple training curricula, she is currently involved in several exciting projects at Smiling Spirit Pathways, including the writing of a parent publication on supporting children in the aftermath of trauma, and a course on Trauma Journaling. Cherie considers herself an avid, daily student of life and finds the people with whom she has held the privilege of sharing the healing journey to be her greatest, most humbly inspiring teachers. Specialties Clinical Supervision, Play Therapy, Trauma Specialist, Losses, Transitions, Grief Response and Adjustment, Women's Emotional Wellness and Mental Health, Infant/Parent Attachment, Pre/Postnatal adjustment, Developmental Trauma, Writing, Parenting, Multiple Intelligences expertise, Professional Training and Coaching, Curriculum Development, Child and Family Therapy