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Hi, my name is Josie DeShong, LISW-CP, and I look forward to meeting with you! I am very excited to work with individuals to help them see their potential and make the changes they intend to make in their lives. I strongly believe each individual has the ability to make those changes and overcome obstacles to living their most desired life!
My approach
I mainly utilize cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), and motivational interviewing (MI) concepts to assist individuals in coping with stressors. The ultimate goal is to not just accept a difficult situation but to empower people to change their situation for the better.
My focus
I typically work with young adult clients who are experiencing some type of roadblock and are finding it difficult to move forward in their lives. I have experience working with individuals with diagnoses ranging from depression to schizophrenia and similar diagnoses. However, a diagnosis can carry stigma which I am aware of, and I tend to approach my sessions from a person-first viewpoint to help people realize their strengths without focusing solely on a diagnosis!
My communication style
I create a warm atmosphere and encourage clients to openly share about their experiences. I would like clients to know this space is for THEM to gain and hopefully leave sessions feeling fully accepted. I assist clients in making their own decisions about how they wish to move forward through the exploration of their personal strengths and barriers to reaching specified goals.
My journey to mental healthcare
I always knew I would like to be in some type of helping profession. I chose nursing because I believed this fit right in with my goals but quickly realized I did not have the stomach for it! This led me to pursue psychology during my undergraduate studies, and I chose social work for my master's degree to become employed in a field with many opportunities. I reached my goal of obtaining my clinical license so I am able to do what I do now- provide individual therapy to a diverse range of individuals who are seeking to make changes in their lives!
My goals for you
Broad goals are explored during the first session, and together we will specify sub-goals to monitor throughout the therapeutic process. I like to keep goal-tracking informal and incorporate this conversationally into sessions to align with the atmosphere I intend to create. Therapy, from my viewpoint, is supposed to be something one looks forward to instead of being intimidated by!
My first session with you
The first session will include an assessment to gain important information about the client and to answer any questions they may have about our time together. I will gain a general idea of what the goals are and present problems to target throughout the therapeutic process. The first session is also to get one's perspective about what they believe is leading to distress and what types of outcomes they would like to see!
