Bonita Hutchinson, LPC, LCMHC

About me

Hello, my name is Bonita Hutchison. I am a Nationally Certified Trauma Therapist and hold dual licensure in Mental Health and Substance Abuse Counseling in North Carolina and New Jersey.

Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio is where I earned my Masters Degree in Agency and Community Counseling in 1998 before I moved to North Carolina. Over the years, I have learned that many people who come in for depression or anger sometimes have drinking, eating or substance use issues they are also struggling with or have used to cover up their pain. Each year to better serve you and provide the help needed to live and feel better I have continued to master additional skills to support your needs and recovery. These methods and approaches to counseling include Mindfulness, Couples Counseling, Psychodynamic therapy, Motivational Interviewing and Person Centered Counseling to name a few.

My career as a Professional Counselor started with caring for children and teaching them to make better choices. I learned how I could help Parents and their children address challenges and barriers to success in facilitation of groups, individual and family therapy. After attending the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and earning Post Graduate Certification as a Drug Counselor in 2010, then my North Carolina License Professional Counselor (LCMHC #7953) credential and in 2020 due to the pandemic New Jersey Temporary Licensure (LPC # 010006) to provide mental health Counseling and Alcohol and Addiction treatment ( LADC # 014783). I have worked in the school system as a Mental Health Counselor. Then, began to help many more people in private practice than within the schools: Working with Adults, Parents, Adolescents, Teens, the Elderly, HIV, LGBTQ+ and Gen X populations to address mental health and/or substance use or abuse issues. I’m a good listener and educator that provides a warm and person centered approach to counseling that allows others to feel safe and supported in therapy.

I work with consumers from all over the world and hold the IC&RC International Certification (ICAADC) to provide therapy and coping skills to better manage life situations as a Licensed Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor. My work through mental health Counseling and as a Clinical Supervisor (LCMHC-S #S7953) in North Carolina is very rewarding and teaches me how to reduce your anxiety, manage depression symptoms, cope with ADHD, move past Guilt and Shame, process Grief and Relationship/Family issues. My Substance Abuse licensure in North Carolina (LCAS #2313) and California (LAADC #RA8620417) as well as New Jersey (NJDC Temp #014783) has allowed me to help people struggling with substance use or alcohol abuse problems and explore the questions these things bring up. Alcoholism, Mental Health and Drug Addiction do not discriminate and working in this field has allowed me to support and assist many people and families from a variety of cultural and spiritual backgrounds, races and relationship situations that were keeping them from reducing mental health symptoms, maintaining recovery and sobriety.

I think I can help and I look forward to working with you!

Professional experience

Additional areas of focus: LGBT, Relationship issues, Family conflicts, Trauma and abuse, Grief, Parenting issues, Anger management, Self esteem, Career difficulties, Coping with life changes, Compassion fatigue, Aging and Geriatric Issues, Blended Family Issues, Cancer, Caregiver Issues and Stress, Chronic Pain Illness and Disability, Co-morbidity, Coping with Natural or Human-Caused Disaster, Eating and Food-Related Issues, Emptiness, Family Problems, First Responder Issues, Impulsivity, Men's Issues, Military and Veterans Issues, Multicultural Concerns, Post-traumatic Stress, Prejudice and Discrimination, Women's Issues

Clinical approaches: Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT), Gottman Method, Mindfulness Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Narrative Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Trauma-Focused Therapy

License information

NJ LPC 37PC00850200

NC LCMHC 7953

Reviews

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