I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the state of Wisconsin with over 20 years of experience providing counseling and psychotherapy services in a variety of settings including residential treatment, outpatient psychotherapy, and vocational rehabilitation. I not only believe, I know, everyone has the ability to heal from past injuries, solve psychological problems, and improve their lives so that they are happier, more confident, and better able to achieve their life goals. I have worked with a wide range of people of all ages and backgrounds to help them solve the problems that brought them to therapy, learn and practice new skills, new ways of thinking, more effective ways to manage their lives to be more fulfilling, and move toward the goals they set for themselves. People come to therapy for a wide range of reasons; our first task is to identify what you want to change and need assistance with and develop a plan to achieve those goals. Some of the problems I've helped people work through include depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD resulting from a range of experiences (including abuse experienced as a child, domestic violence, and sexual assault), family problems, women's issues generally, various relationship problems, employment problems, and adjusting to many life changes.
A good working relationship is necessary for therapy to be successful. You are the expert on your life; this is your journey. My role is to be a guide, help you find perspective on yourself and your experiences, be a source of support and information, help you learn how to make the changes you wish to see in your life, and how to make those changes happen. I understand the importance of meeting you where you are. Therefore, our first task together is to establish that working relationship. You have to be able to trust your guide to be able to move forward, and that is a process in itself that can't be rushed. Once we've identified your goals, I use a variety of techniques drawn from different schools of psychotherapy to help you reach your them. Some of those techniques include client-centered, motivational interviewing, cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, internal family systems (IFS), mindfulness, and solution-focused strategies. I have also found particular energy medicine techniques (such as Emotional Freedom Technique, or EFT) to be very helpful in reducing and managing symptoms of anxiety and depression, sometimes very quickly. This can help you focus on deeper issues.
It is also important to consider how any physical health conditions and the people and environments you interact with affect you psychologically. It's important to take all of these factors into account to effectively help you heal and grow.
This is a very personal journey for everyone. I look forward to working with you!
Additional areas of focus: Relationship issues, Family conflicts, Grief, Intimacy-related issues, Eating disorders, Parenting issues, Anger management, Coping with life changes, Coaching, Compassion fatigue, Abandonment, Attachment Issues, Blended Family Issues, Body Image, Caregiver Issues and Stress, Chronic Pain Illness and Disability, Codependency, Commitment Issues, Communication Problems, Control Issues, Coping with Natural or Human-Caused Disaster, Divorce and Separation, Eating and Food-Related Issues, Emptiness, Family of Origin Issues, Family Problems, Fatherhood Issues, Guilt and Shame, Impulsivity, Infidelity, Intellectual Disability, Isolation / Loneliness, Jealousy, Life Purpose, Midlife Crisis, Mood Disorders, Post-traumatic Stress, Prejudice and Discrimination, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), Self-Love, Sexual Assault and Abuse, Social Anxiety and Phobia, Women's Issues, Workplace Issues, Young Adult Issues
Clinical approaches: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Attachment-Based Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT), Existential Therapy, Mindfulness Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Psychodynamic Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Trauma-Focused Therapy, Internal Family Systems
WI LPC 4237-125
These quotes represent just a few of the many positive reviews that we have received for Gillian Van Dien. We don't pay anyone to provide their review and they are all made voluntarily. Some people's experience receiving therapy with BetterHelp might be different.
She is kind and keeps in touch with me.
Written on Sep 06, 2023 after therapy with Gillian for 2 weeks on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, relationship issues, family conflicts, eating disorders, sleeping disorders, self esteem, coping with life changes, and adhd
It’s my first time to do this and from the session we had, I feel very comfortable working with her, very professional too
Written on Sep 01, 2023 after therapy with Gillian for 2 weeks on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, addictions, relationship issues, family conflicts, trauma and abuse, intimacy-related issues, sleeping disorders, parenting issues, self esteem, anger management, career difficulties, coping with life changes, compassion fatig
Gillian is great. She comes at our sessions with respect, understanding and solutions. She lets me guide things when I need to and gives me a fresh perspective. So far I look forward to therapy with her.
Written on Apr 07, 2023 after therapy with Gillian for 3 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, parenting issues, self esteem, and coping with life changes
Gillian listened to me and then worked with me to develop tools I can use to address my concerns. I felt heard and respected.
Written on Mar 04, 2023 after therapy with Gillian for 1 year on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, and career difficulties
She has been great and flexible on time!
Written on Feb 08, 2023 after therapy with Gillian for 1 month on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, relationship issues, family conflicts, trauma and abuse, grief, sleeping disorders, and coping with life changes
Excellent conversationalist, thorough and empathetic
Written on Jan 31, 2023 after therapy with Gillian for 3 weeks on issues concerning relationship issues, parenting issues, and self esteem
