Be your own kind of beautiful.
Hi, my name is Shawn Boley.
I'm a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW), and I provide mental health counseling with the aim to see my clients improve for the better. I’m skilled at motivational interviewing and have helped others pursue sobriety, conflict resolution, major life changes, or whatever decisions necessary to better their lives. I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) as my primary method, which helps others establish more control over their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors by restructuring negative thought patterns - also known as cognitive distortions - into thoughts that are more productive with probable positive outcomes.
CBT is an expansive branch of therapies, and accordingly my approach to you will be personalized to address your concerns and symptoms. CBT has proven to have significant benefits on a large range of concerns and symptoms and is supported strongly by advocates of evidence-based practice. For some, therapy might include a structured curriculum with homework. For others, therapy sessions where I interject and identify cognitive distortions as they occur - so as to help you develop a better awareness of them and so that you can work on restructuring them outside of session - is all the homework that will be expected. As with going to the gym, therapy requires your engagement. You will get better results the more effort you make, and your persistence is required. You came here looking for help, and I commend you on that. The first step is always the hardest. A caterpillar doesn't transform into a butterfly overnight, nor does a bodybuilder transform over a week. These things take time. Therapy doesn’t offer an immediate solution for everything, but given persistence one will experience a shift where they feel like they’ve transformed into a happier person. Your outlook will have changed to give you a better sense of what is worth controlling in life, and counterpoint to that, what is worth letting go.
CBT requires that you want to make some form of change, and therefore you need some form of motivation to control your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. I use humanistic and existential therapies to help others make better sense of themselves if motivation isn't forthcoming. Through humanistic and existential therapies, we will explore your passions and desires in context of a strange and random world where we have little control. Motivation is more forthcoming when we have a better understanding of what control we do have over our lives. We might need to process through some things such as past grief and trauma, for which other therapies may be considered.
I’ve worked with a variety of individuals with concerns and symptoms ranging from depression and anxiety, to other persistent and severe mental illnesses such as PTSD and OCD. I may recommend that you see a primary care provider or psychologist for a medication evaluation if I think it may help you establish better control over some of your symptoms. Taking medications can offer us greater control, and so their usefulness is worth mentioning for your consideration.
I'm located in the greater Seattle area near Columbia City and available for in-person sessions. Otherwise, betterhelp offers an amazing platform for us to work together.
To learn more, visit www.butterflycounseling.com
Additional areas of focus: Stress, Anxiety, Addictions, Relationship issues, Family conflicts, Trauma and abuse, Intimacy-related issues, Eating disorders, Sleeping disorders, Anger management, Career difficulties, Bipolar disorder
WA LICSW LW60787398
These quotes represent just a few of the many positive reviews that we have received for Shawn Boley . 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.
My experience with Shawn Boley has been one of the most powerful and eye-opening times of my life. Every time we talk, he offers profound insight and awareness into the real heart of each problem. He balances tact with honesty, and isn't afraid to confront things head on. I'm so pleased with our sessions, and appreciate his very real dedication to helping others.
Written on Apr 03, 2018 after therapy with Shawn for 2 weeks on issues concerning stress, anxiety, relationship, family, trauma and abuse, intimacy-related, and self esteem
Highly recommended. Shawn knows what he's talking about and understands to process of coming out and all the stages on all involved.
Written on Mar 29, 2018 after therapy with Shawn for 2 weeks
I really like my counselor. He has helped me with my issues and is supportive and sensitive to my situation. I feel confident that I can move past these road blocks that I have had and be a stronger person.
Written on Mar 29, 2018 after therapy with Shawn for 2 weeks on issues concerning relationship, trauma and abuse, and self esteem