Ruth Owen

I am a licensed mental health counselor in Florida. I have a variety of experiences from child welfare work to behavior analysis, academic, and mental health counseling. I enjoy helping children, adolescents, and adults work through difficulties in their life.

My approach

I want clients to feel heard and understood. I also want them to be able to identify the issues that are causing them the most difficulties. Together we can set goals and identify strategies to help them meet those goals. I tend to use cognitive behavioral, and solution-focused techniques mixed with a client-centered approach.

My focus

I have a great deal of experience working with teens and their families. I enjoy helping adults as well as they go through transitions related to death, divorce, retirement, and other stressful situations.

My communication style

I strive to create a comfortable environment in which clients know they have a safe, confidential place to express their feelings without judgment. Previous clients have expressed that they appreciated this lack of judgment while still feeling that I was also honest with them and strove to help them be the best version of themselves.

My journey to mental healthcare

My undergraduate major was in psychology. My first job was with Boley Manor just as the State was eliminating long-term care in the State Mental Hospitals. I spent my days taking people who lived in group homes to various community settings to relearn social skills. My second foray into human services was as a foster care counselor and protective investigator. I worked with families and children as they recovered from abuse and neglect. I helped parents to overcome difficulties and learn skills so that they could parent their children more successfully. I pursued my Masters Degree in counseling and entered the school system. In the school system, I became aware of the large number of children who truly needed support services and were not getting them. I worked as a Certified Behavior Analyst for five years helping students with disabilities from Pre-K through 12th grade. As a Certified School Counselor in a low-income High School, with only one social worker, I quickly became the only mental health service for many of our students. I also served as a resource for adults. I look forward to using my experience and skills to help children, adults, and families.

My goals for you

Clients often need help identifying the areas of their life that are being impacted and what the factor is that is impacting those areas. I enjoy helping clients to express their feelings and viewpoints which allows them to hear themselves. This alone often sheds light on what they would like to change or learn to view differently. I help clients learn strategies and techniques and set realistic, measurable goals that allow them to take small steps toward their larger objectives.

My first session with you

The first session will primarily consist of getting to know each other. I want to learn about what is happening in their life. What are their strength and weaknesses? What are their expectations from counseling?