Erik Young, Mental Health Counselor in West Chester, 19380

Erik Young, M.Ed., LPC

Profession(s):
Mental Health Counseling
License Status:
I'm a licensed professional.
Primary License:
Licensed Professional Counselor - PC005853

My Approach to Helping

Parenting is hard. Parenting a child with special needs is harder. Do you know someone with autism, intellectual disability or who needs more emotional and psychological support? I am a specialist in working with these issues. I use an individualized eclectic approach to therapy where I try to match interventions to each person's unique circumstances. It is my goal to help my clients quickly get a handle on their current crisis and start moving forward with their lives. It is my hope to make a difficult situation easier.

I help caregivers and families of such individuals design their own unique survival package of: Coping skills, Stress reduction strategies, Advocacy skills, Resiliency Paths away from isolation, Paths towards Hope and Joy,

I am a clinician at the Devereux foundation providing counseling and behavior support to teens and adults with Autism, Intellectual disability and behavior disorders. Additionally, for the past eight years, my wife and I have provided therapetuic foster care services to individuals with special needs in our home.

It is my goal to enter into partnership with individual's as they work through the stages of change and help them to stay on track to achieve their desired goals.

More Info About My Practice

I charge $125/50 minute session. I see individuals, families in couples and am willing to come to the home to do some sessions. I will provide a SuperBill for billing to out-of-network providers. I offer a free initial phone consultation.

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

While I'm qualified and skilled at providing general "talk therapy or counseling, I have three main areas of particular expertise and training. My experience over the past 15 years working with children, teens and adults with autism and intellectual disability gives me experince in working with this challenging population. The past 8 years working as a foster parent of autistic children gives me expereince of what parenting these special children is like -- boht the social isolation and frustraions, but also the incredible , one-of-a-kind expereinces you can get nowhere else. As a result of this, I've developed strategies that allow me to be a good father to my kids, a good husband to my wife and still have a fulfilling life for myself. I can share these strategies with others walking the same path. In my professional life, I've also had the challenge and priviledge of helping others overcome their expereince of trauma. I've had special training in trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy. If you are struggling with issues stemming from trauma reactions in your life, I can help. Finally, I based on the above professional and personal expereinces, I have developed some techniques for managing and reducing stress. Again, if this is soemthing you are struggling with, I can help.

Why Going to Therapy Does Not Mean You are Weak or Flawed

Life is complicated, to say the least. Sometimes, we can get through on our own...and that's fine.. However, sometimes things can only be accomplished when one works with other people. working with others to solve problems is priobably one of the most human things to do. In the case of asking for help, it is also the brave thing to do. It is not easy to admit that one is struggling to someone else. However, doing so can be the first step towards true relief from pain and misery. Furthermore, by seeking help, one can turn an area of perceived weakness iand make it a strength. People seek help all the time. If we get a cold, we see a doctor. This is not weakness. If an athlete wants to perform better, they see a coach. If something in your house breaks down, you call a professional to come fix it if you don't have the knowledge or time to do so yourself. Seeking therapy is essentially no different than these other examples of seeking out the specialized knowledge of a professional to help solve a problem. Rather than being a sign of weakness...it's a sign of wisdom. It's a sign of a person who wants to change and do so as successfully as possible.