Amanda Marie Chilleme

LMHC

I utilize a combination of styles and approaches to counseling/therapy; and that style depends on one huge factor; YOU! Therapy is not a one size fits all situation, and I will never use the same exact approach to treat every patient. The foundation of my training is in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Motivational Approaches. I incorporate different homework assignments, and experiential activities, to help my clients reach their personally identified goals and potentials.

As a clinician, I utilize a human or client focused approach to counseling. I am not here to tell you why you called, or what you need to work on; you made the call, you already know the “what”. As a clinician, it is my job to help you understand the “why”, and eventually, the “how” (to fix it, overcome it, or just plain throw it away). At your first session, it is essentially a two-way interview; as I listen to your story/narrative, and the “rough draft” (as I lovingly call it) begins to unfold, WE as a team determine if 1) I am the right therapist for you, and 2) If you are the right client for me. If we both agree to move forward from the first session, identifying your goals will be your first assignment; giving you the opportunity to do this, helps me to better see how you think and interpret your barriers (i.e., stress, anxiety, depression, relationships, etc.). The second session, we begin to rank these goals, and identify the objectives that will help us to achieve these milestones together. I am your coach, teammate, and cheer leader! We will focus on one goal at a time. Remember “slow and steady wins the race”! As we reach the culmination of one goal, we will move on to the next.

Seeking out help, especially if you have never done it before, can be terrifying. As a clinician, I get this; and, as someone who has seen a therapist at different intervals of my own life, I know how relieving it can be once the first call is made. It is like straddling a fence, having one leg on each side of an issue, but once you decide, the anxiety and anticipation immediately lessens, allowing for the first seeds of growth to be planted.