Therapists serving clients in Whitesville, WV

Welcome! For the last seven years, I have been working in a community mental health setting with all ages and backgrounds. In doing so, I have gained experience in bettering the lives of people with depression, anxiety, phobias, trauma, bipolar disorders, personality disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, eating disorders, relationship issues, family conflicts, self-esteem issues, addictions and many others. My passion for counseling is driven by the small changes that lead to remarkable discover. In using Cognitive Behavior Therapy, your thoughts will lead the way in new behaviors and an improved mood. My care and compassion helps others feel safe and comfortable when expressing themselves or when providing a trauma narrative. Social work is at my core, allowing us to find solutions that create harmony for you, your health, your family, your goals, your community, and your enjoyment.

Thankyou for reading my profile. It is difficult to convey my work in few paragraphs. I have been counseling since 1998 when I completed my first master's degree in Counseling. I later earned a second masters in Clinical Social Work. I understand that change is not easy and I know that no single approach to change works for everyone. With this in mind, I am willing to draw upon a number of modalities. I use techniques from mindfulness and gratitude along with traditional Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, Reality Therapy to develop a plan of growth. I am always in partnership, working alongside the client and family as we move towards health. I believe that the client is the authority or expert with regard to their goals and needs. I follow the client's lead in developing those goals while offering my expertise in creating a successful plan. I also believe that focusing on a whole person strength-based relationship contributes to a solid base of trust and acceptance. With this solid therapeutic relationship established, the client can feel safe to be authentic and vulnerable.

I have been a clinical psychologist since 1994, and I am currently licensed in West Virginia. I have also been a college professor at West Liberty University since 2006. I have worked with clients with a wide range of concerns including depression, anxiety, ADHD, parenting problems, nursing home concerns, career challenges, and PTSD I also helped many people who have experienced physical trauma or emotional abuse. My therapy style is warm and interactive. I believe in treating anyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion. My approach combines cognitive-behavioral, humanistic, psychodynamic, and rational-emotive therapy. I will tailor our dialog and treatment plan to meet your unique and specific needs. It takes courage to seek a more fulfilling and happier life and to take the first steps towards change. If you are ready to take that step, I am here to support and empower you. I look forward to working with you!

I am licensed in West Virginia and Pennsylvania with 11 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, coping with addictions, trauma and abuse, & depression. I work with my clients to create an open and safe environment where thoughts and feelings can be shared without fear of judgment. It takes courage to seek out a more fulfilling and happier life and to take the first steps towards a change. I am here to support & empower you in that journey. I have done research on the Impact of ADHD on Family Functioning. This research has improved my understanding of how important counseling is to families who have a loved one with ADHD. I also have specialization in treating addictions. I have been trained to use motivational interviewing and CBT for addiction. I also have experience in trauma and have used a DBT approach as well as CBT and Gestalt.

"Healing takes time, and asking for help is a courageous step." -- Mariska Hargitay Hi! You have made a huge decision to take care of your mental health, I am so glad you're here. The hardest part is often times reaching out for help, but you have done just that and just know that I'm proud of you already. My name is Christina Renzler, and I've lived in West Virginia much of my life. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of WV and have been practicing for 13 years. I received my Bachelors degree in Psychology & Family Studies from Alderson-Broaddus College in 2010, and my Masters in Counseling degree from Waynesburg University in 2012. I have experience working in a wide variety of mental health concerns and substance use disorders, in settings such as inpatient, outpatient, substance use treatment centers, acute psychiatric hospitalization, and local community mental health centers. I have treated concerns such as anxiety, depression, stress management, relationship issues, social issues, life adjustments, marriage/divorce, co-parenting issues, alcohol and drug abuse, relapse prevention, suicidal ideation, grief and loss, anger management, and legal problems. I believe that a trusting relationship between the client and therapist is crucial to building rapport. If you don't trust me, or we aren't a good match for one another, then you won't tell me what's going on. I like to create a safe space for you to feel comfortable opening up about the most difficult topics in your life or on your mind. I like to meet you where you are in your healing journey in order to gain an understanding of your current stressors, what has been poking those emotional wounds, and help identify the goals you wish to achieve. I am passionate about helping you identify your current triggers, stressors and conflicts in order to help you develop healthier coping strategies to improve those areas of your life. I believe that quality of life in the current moment is extremely important. When working with me, you will find that I have a laid-back conversational style approach to my therapy sessions. We can be structured when and if we need to be, but I find that we work best together when we can just talk about what's going on in your life, instead of me drilling you with questions. You will find that I talk a lot about attachment, control versus no control, how to self-regulate your emotions better, comfort yourself, ways to change your self talk, and how to educate yourself about what you're struggling with. In my free time, I enjoy sitting on my front porch, crocheting (never finish projects!), camping, finding backroads in my Jeep, spending time with my two sons, being outside, trying new dinner recipes, and being out on the lake. I have quite the zoo at my house, with two dogs, a cat, a bunny and a bunch of exotic geckos!

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in West Virginia. I have experience helping clients manage stress, anxiety, and depression, cope with addictions, and navigate motivation, self-esteem, and relationship issues. I believe in treating everyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion. I will always tailor our sessions and treatment plan to meet your unique and specific needs. My aim is to create an environment and dynamic of comfort and security with all of my clients. It takes courage to be vulnerable and begin stepping toward the changes you want to see in your life. I am here to support and empower you in that journey!

Hello, INFORMATIONAL RESOURCES can be found on various dedicated Facebook pages based on the topic and on my own YouTube channel for access by clients. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: I am skilled at guiding individuals and couples through a review of • thoughts and behaviors, • history and anticipation, • beliefs and misconceptions, • values and choices, and • goals and objectives toward an increased awareness of options, needs, resources, and results. The application of such knowledge about oneself can lead to choices that are more likely to be experienced as effective, productive, healthier, and rewarding. To provide space for a more structured option I have removed other descriptive information on my profile. That information is readily shared once a client makes a commitment to explore my qualification, style, specializations, and approach before and during the first session, which in part is an interview by the client of myself as a professional of potential selection. PLEASE NOTE In addition to the next section of SPECIAL OFFERING - See the last portions of my profile > DIVERSITY OF EXPERIENCE, > PERSONAL POWER, and > THE PROCESS. A SPECIAL OFFERING of Structure and Focus for an eight-session intensive experience yielding optimized value for your investment of financial resources, of time, of energy, and of attention. Near the end of each month a different Special Offer program is highlighted. This one is offered this last week of September and during October. This program is called "I AM READY" for clients who want an infusion of information, activities, skills and tools, related to their given focus. One can choose to stop at the end of four sessions (Part 1) or sooner if the match of myself as a professional and with you does not feel like a good-enough fit. The goal of the eight-session infusion is to prepare you to move forward with or without a counselor. The infusion offers education, tools, techniques, for more effective coping skills and healthier self-care behaviors - while identifying and naming the critical issues that warrant attention as a pathway to: • increase and apply awareness, • reduce personal barriers or situational roadblocks, • enhance coping and action strategies, • broaden perspectives, • deepen understanding, • emphasize strengths and assets, • develop personal confidence and efficacy, • highlight existing assets and resources, toward the outcomes of • increased gratification, gratitude, desired results, • an orientation of where you are at this time in your life, or regarding certain issues, • a process of defining your goals and objectives, and • a measurable clarity of options related to self-care, coping, direction, and resources. You are not obligated to continue after the fourth session, or even the first session, if there does not seem to be a good fit of my professional style and methods with your expectations, needs and goals. Each client’s feedback is requested during or after each session to assure that I am on course with your goals and needs. Requirements: individuals and couples who can relate to the meaning and desire to improve or integrate the concepts listed below. The “I AM READY” timeframe of 8 weekly sessions (Parts 1 and 2) is designed for people who are ready to engage in the process and participate in what is needed for effective outcomes. Here are some concepts that represent the initials of I AM READY. I – Initiative, Intelligence, Insight, Intrinsic, Interpretation, Integrity, Innovative, Investment, Intention A – Ability, Acquisition, Attitude, Accurate, Action, Affirmation, Application M – Mindfulness, Meditation, Maturation, Meaning, Motivation, Mindset, Mentality, Method, Map R – Real-istic, Renew, Redefine, Relevant, Review, Replace, Rethink, Reason, Resourceful, Retain E – Education, Emotion, Energy, Enough, Expression, Experience, Explanation, Expectation, Evaluation A – Assessment, Access, Accentuate, Assess, Articulate, Attribute D – Determined, Dedicated, Decisive, Development, Daily, Dignity, Deliberation, Diverse, Depth, Durable Y – Why? YOUnique, Yield, YES!, YOU can DO this!, Your Goals. If you are ready to start and commit vs window shop or partially use your subscription due to missed or unscheduled appointments, then count to 10 as you assess your degree of readiness and motivation. Then decide if you are ready or not for the Part 1 - four sessions of assessment, support, and education as a foundation upon which the process will lead you through the subsequent four weeks and into the next chapter of your life. DIVERSITY OF EXPERIENCE and PERSPECTIVES • I have worked with people who struggled with an active addition or who were in recovery from one of the worst chapters of their lives. • I have listened to and supported clients who worked in blue-collar jobs and clients who worked in white-collar positions. • I have provided counsel and education to people who currently or had been employed on Capitol Hill, the Pentagon, and in The White House. • Clients have also included those who have worked at various federal agencies: FBI, NASA, US Border Patrol, and the Secret Service, and active military personnel. • I’ve served clients who were first-responders or first-time parents. • I have guided teens who were in high school or transitioning to the experience of college-related demands. • I have been a bereavement counselor to survivors who faced the death (of various causes, anticipated and unexpected, which can result in “complicated bereavement”) - of a partner or spouse, - a parent, a sibling, a grandparent, - a child or a grandchild – both under legal age and as an adult-child. • I have supported people who have contended with invisible, chronic illness or pain, or who have had deteriorating health, and across different points in the lifespan. • I have been a privileged witness to the sacred, private lives of many people who survived adverse childhood experiences, • trauma as an adult, (military, domestic, and circumstantial: victimization, accidents, work-related or other accidents, hospital experiences, the death of a loved-one, witness a situation involving someone else safety, etc.), • and persons who have contended with gradual or sudden heartbreak and grief, • debilitating and diminishing consequential aspects of an anxiety disorder, • the suffering inherent with mood disorders (episodic or chronic in nature), • and the universal issues of being human combined with the developmental tasks required of continued growth and adjustment. • During college I worked at two summer-camps for four years (in MA and NJ) with people who had developmental disabilities, the under-privileged, and the very privileged. • And I have presented workshops at professional conferences and for agency trainings. PERSONAL POWER includes: 1. an awareness of making a series of choices, 2. resulting in executing a decision, and a direction, and 3. the application of knowing what is required for a desired outcome, with 4. the creative process of exploring or creating options. The PROCESS 1. MAKING A DECISION, 2. CHOOSING A HEALTHCARE PROVIDER, 3. TAKING ACTION ON YOUR DECISION and CHOICE 4. ENGAGING IN THE PROCESS of • UNCERTAINTY, • STRUCTURE, • EDUCATION, • SUPPORT, and • ACTIVITIES for • Desired RESULTS. If you want to interview me during a first session, I can then send you more information about how I see my style and approach (eclectic with life-long learning). And if you decide to continue your search for a better fit with a therapist of your choosing, I genuinely endorse and support that path, by removing your connect to me if that be the case. If that would be your decision, I do ask that each client apply direct communication about intentions or needs so as to • “not fill a seat in my electronic waiting room” by clients who are undecided, • as evidenced by not making appointments, or not keeping appointments, • due to not being ready to start and follow-through, and thus, limiting access to my services of clients who are ready with a plan to begin the process. Please be aware that for each when a client who is passive, dormant, or • inconsistent in scheduling and keeping appointments, • there is a counter-productive influence on my availability to potential clients due to a place being taken on my roster of existing clients. You can choose to disconnect your affiliation with me in order to take action with another therapist and/or return when you are ready and able to engage consistently in the process and service for which you are paying a monthly subscription. Sincerely, Will Perks, MSW LICSW in West Virginia LCSW in Virginia LISW-CP in South Carolina Clinical Social Work licenses are pending in MD, CA and NY

I am a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and Registered Play Therapist based in West Virginia. I am also certified in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). TF-CBT is an evidence-based treatment for children and adolescents impacted by trauma and their parents or caregivers. I have 5 years of therapy experience with clients of all ages, including kids, teens and adolescents. I have provided services both online and in person through an agency and in my private practice. The majority of my work over has been with clients who have experienced complex trauma due to abuse and neglect issues. I use a trauma-informed approach that focuses on gaining emotional regulation and processing experiences so that events of the past do not keep clients from building their best lives. I also have experience helping clients with depression, stress and anxiety, coping with grief and loss, & anger management. Taking the first step to seeking a more fulfilling and happier life takes courage. I am here to support you in that process.

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). I'm licensed in West Virginia with 3 years of professional clinical work experience. I am a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC #1584398) and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP #265640). Educational Background: I graduated from West Virginia University with a B.A. in Psychology, Southern New Hampshire University with a M.S. in Developmental Psychology, and a M.S. degree in Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling from West Virginia University. At this time, I am only able to provide services to West Virginia residents who are currently in the state of West Virginia at the time of service. I am unable to see non-West Virginia residents and West Virginia residents who are outside of the state at the time of service. I do not provide Christian-based counseling or work with anyone under the age of 18 years old. I have experience in helping clients with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship issues, trauma and abuse, improving motivation, self esteem, and confidence. I will give you the tools that you will use to reach your goals. I believe that you are the expert on yourself and that you have many strengths that will assist you in overcoming things that challenge you. My counseling style is laid back and compassionate. I enjoy using an appropriate sense of humor in my sessions. I like to focus on identifying your personal strengths and helping you to utilize them to overcome your obstacles. I'm here to help you understand what it is you're going through. I am also here to help you work through difficult things so you can make the most appropriate decision for yourself at this time in your life. I offer you a safe place to be open and honest without fear of judgment.

I am licensed in over 10 States with 20 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, relationship issues, & motivation, self esteem, and confidence. I also have experience working with depression. I believe in treating everyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion. I will tailor our dialog and treatment plan to meet your unique and specific needs. It takes courage to seek out a more fulfilling and happier life and to take the first steps towards a change. I am here to support & empower you in that journey.