Parenting Therapists in Lakewood, OH

I have more than 20 years experience in relationship counseling, men's issues and family counseling. Electronic media and video game abuse have become important counseling topics that I treat. I help men with life transitions and work issues, partners navigate relationship issues and families resolve conflict. I help with difficult children & adolescents and wrote "How to Change Your Child's Behavior". It highlights principles of good parenting, why children get out of control, and how to establish rules. My protocol is used by schools, child welfare agencies, and juvenile justice systems. I also specialize in treating ADHD.

I am dedicated to providing compassionate support for children and young adults, with a strong belief in the inherent goodness of people. With experience and a deep passion for this work, I am committed to creating a non-judgmental and safe space where my clients can feel understood and supported. My therapeutic approach is both empathetic and collaborative. I work closely with each individual to empower them to discover their own strengths and achieve their personal goals. I understand that change can be daunting, and I am here to provide the support and guidance needed to navigate life's inevitable challenges.

When we have a safe space to talk about our feelings, they can become less overwhelming and more manageable. As a therapist, I use a strengths-based and collaborative approach to partner with my clients and their caregivers to work through stressors, express emotions, and develop coping skills. With years of experience in community mental health and healthcare, I have the most extensive experience working with children, adolescents, and young adults who have experienced anger, anxiety, depression and trauma.

We accept new clients from anywhere in Ohio for telehealth sessions. Asking for help with mental wellness or addiction issues takes courage. Remember that seeking support during difficult times is actually a sign of strength. It's also a step toward improving your mental and emotional well-being. I can empathize with the vulnerability and courage it takes to begin this journey...when your ready to get started just reach out.

My approach is to view problems or issues from a systemic perspective. That means I am curious about our key relationships past and present, the roles we play, the rules we follow, and where our identity and value systems come from. My passion is to make sense of the ways our internal experiences (relationship with self) and our external experiences (relationships with others) collide and inform one another. I strive to help people develop wholeness of self through unpacking anything that is keeping them stuck.

Life is about patterns. We do the same things day after day because they help us function without having to concentrate on every little thing we do. That helps us in many ways, but it can also make us drift away from each other. Without knowing how we got there, we wake up one day wondering who our partner really is or what happened to the kids. That’s where therapy comes in – it helps reconnect couples and families so they can build new patterns that bring them together, not push them apart.

The majority of us experience difficulties in our lives, but the experiences themselves can be very personal and unique. The key principles of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (the impact that our feelings, thoughts, and actions have on each other) can be life changing when embraced. CBT teaches us to be better stewards of ourselves and allows us to take charge of feeling better and maintaining our improvements after we've achieved them with our changed perspective and skill set. I’m an approachable professional who can help. I encourage you to call, text, or email me to see if we may be a good fit for your change process.

If you're looking for services for you, your relationship, your family, or your loved one, it's a big step. Finding the right fit doesn't always happen right away, but it's vital to feel a sense of safety with your therapist to help you to move forward through the discomfort that often comes with therapy and change. I use Adventure Therapy to engage the whole person, because it's empowering, it's fun, and it works.

Therapy is hard work. Making personal changes that enhance self awareness, figuring out difficult decisions, and looking for a new path forward is not always easy and I would be honored to accompany you on your journey. I rely on a combination of evidenced based practices like cognitive behavioral, dialectical, brief solutions focus, and narrative therapies to customize a plan that we will co-create to suit your needs and goals to help you explore your situation, create understanding and change, and become the best version of yourself.

My clients are seeking to level up in their sense of self awareness, being more connected with the present and coping better than ever before. I support them to build resilience, resolve impact of trauma, and find more calm in their lives. My goal as a therapist is to support you through your deepest struggles, whether that's a new form of stress or a lifetime of challenges. I empower my Clients to find their inner voice, increase confidence, and embrace the possibility of being resilient.

Are you feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, anxious or grieving? Going through a big life transition? I will meet you where you are in life in a safe, affirming space to explore your personal story, growth, and potential. I can help you make sense of things through traditional talk therapy coupled with somatic processing, mindfulness practice, relaxation techniques, guided imagery, movement and art therapy. I view each client as unique and having a powerful story to share. I will work with you to identify your inherent strengths, growing edges and support developing what changes will foster ongoing hope and positivity.

Life brings challenges and hardships often leaving us feeling stuck and overwhelmed. You do not have to be alone in your struggles, and I am committed to working together to help you reach your goals. I place a high value on the therapeutic relationship, offering a safe, empathetic , judgement-free space to help you identify barriers and emotions that are holding you back, facilitating growth and self-awareness along the way. My mission is to empower client's to make change and create more meaning in their lives.

I chose the path of therapy because I am passionate about working with couples to repair, reconnect and rebuild from past ruptures. There are moments in life when we experience challenges that we feel unprepared to manage and our relationships can suffer. I believe that in those moments, counseling can offer the support, insight, and tools to work through those challenges. My hope is to support you both; creating a safe space to work collaboratively where you both can develop new awareness about yourselves as well as one another, heal from past wounds and improve the level of security and vulnerability within the relationship.

An individual in the midst of making their life changes, developmentally, socially, who is able to establish goals for change.

Are you experiencing depression or anxiety? Are you struggling with home or work-related stressors? Are you experiencing difficulty with understanding your child and his/her behaviors at school or home? Do you have questions about why your teen is experiencing difficulty in school? My mission to provide comprehensive mental health services to assist children, youth, and adults in managing their symptoms more effectively and living a more productive life.

Amanda McKinney is a Licensed Independent Social Worker who obtained her Masters of Science in Social Administration from Case Western Reserve University in 2015. Throughout her career, Amanda has always had a true passion for working with individuals from all walks of life to ensure they meet their self-identified goals for treatment. She believes in utilizing an individualized strengths-based holistic approach for each client and is a strong advocate for her client's right to self-determination.

I am an established psychologist, working in the Lakewood area with individuals, couples, and families for a number of years. I am interested in how we experience and grow from life events, such as marriage, divorce, death of a loved one, moving, and/or pursuing a new career. In the past, I have been Director of Mental Health for the City of Cleveland's McCafferty Health Center.

It may seem like you haven't yet had the opportunity to fully connect with and understand your true self. I aim to join you on your journey of self-exploration and empowerment, guiding you through the process of identifying, confronting, and transforming the patterns that no longer serve you. I am committed to fostering your healing journey through ongoing curiosity and exploration. In the words of Gabi Abrão, "As long as 'why' exists, everything in this life is suspended in a sacred open-endedness." You possess the capacity to craft a life that resonates with your deepest desires by embracing all facets of your being.

Your strengths and needs are as unique as your reasons for seeking therapy in the first place. This is why I take a conversational, client-centered, humanistic approach to therapy. This approach incorporates elements of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. I truly believe there is no problem too small or large to address in therapy, and in fact, one does not need to be experiencing a specific issue to benefit from the opportunity for personal growth counseling offers. No matter what circumstances may have brought you here, please accept my invitation to reach out today.