Jennifer Beall, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor

I am particularly skilled at helping clients identify and change their negative self-talk so that they can develop a more balanced and realistic picture of themselves. Many of my clients are their own worst critics. Their negative self-talk started a long time ago, and now it's automatic. This doesn't mean, though, that it can't be changed; research has shown that we can "re-wire" our brains so that we think more positively. Imagine how different your life could be if you were kinder to yourself! I also help clients to reprocess traumatic memories to remove their negative emotional charge. I am a Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LCADC), which means I have special training in helping clients to overcome addictions to alcohol and other drugs. If you're struggling with addiction, I can help you to find the motivation and the means to break the cycle. And I am an EMDRIA (EMDR International Association) certified EMDR therapist and Consultant-in-Training.

I think that being a psychotherapist is the best job in the world! I love getting to know my clients and helping them to see themselves the way I see them. I am grateful for the opportunity to help them to heal from negative life experiences. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing a client have an "a ha!" moment and knowing that I've had a part in facilitating that. I love the fact that, as an EMDR therapist, I offer my clients more than just hour-long talks about how their weeks have gone. My clients often tell me that they appreciate knowing that there's a structure to our work together so they have an idea of what to expect, and know that it will be effective.

I often joke that, in my experience, people don't have shiny happy childhoods and then wake up one morning thinking "I'm going to be a therapist!" And if they do, they're not likely to be very good therapists. I can be an effective healing presence for my clients because I know, from personal experience, what it's like to suffer traumas and to heal from them, and I know what it's like to be a therapy client. My first experience as a therapy client was very painful because I wasn't given the tools to cope with the huge emotions that surfaced. I learned from that experience, and my clients benefit from that learning.