Hello, I'm Beth Elliott-Staggs, a Licensed Marriage Family Therapist. I've been providing individual, couples, and group therapy for over 20 years. I feel privileged to work in this field and am inspired by my clients' courage and growth.
My approach
When providing therapy, my first goal is to build rapport with my client(s) by providing a safe, comfortable, and non-shaming environment. From there, I invited the client to guide the sessions and offered my wisdom and expertise if necessary. My belief is that we all have our own innate wisdom about how to heal if given the opportunity and support.
My focus
I've worked with a wide variety of clients over the years and find that I am especially good at working with healing the inner child from early childhood trauma. I also have a specialty in substance abuse and co-dependency recovery work, as well as lots of experience with mood disorders such as anxiety or depression. My passion is leading women's support groups and retreats.
My communication style
My energy is calm and supportive. One of my clients described me as a kind of "psychic Surgeon" because I can intuitively look deeply at an issue and gently help to bring it to the light.
My journey to mental healthcare
I often tell my clients that I have sat on that side of the couch myself, and I know how much courage this journey takes. I've had many therapists over the years - both good and not-so-good. The good one was exceptional and changed my life. I've learned a lot about how sacred the therapeutic relationship can be and from others - what not to do! I take this responsibility seriously and treat each client with care and respect.
My goals for you
I will ask the client what their goals are for therapy at the beginning of our work together, and intermittently I will summarize the case notes with the client to see if their goals are getting met.
My first session with you
I usually start with gathering information using a genogram which gives me a multi-generational view of the client and their family. Then I work to establish rapport with warmth and compassion and open-ended questions. My favorite is Why now? I think this is a great beginning to begin our work together.