Anthony Edwards LMSW-C

Well, much like a lot of therapists, I've travelled along my own path of healing. It wasn't until my early twenties that I connected with a therapist and got someone to support me on that journey, which is when I decided I wanted to be that same person for others too. Fortunately, I had always like psychology and had chosen it as my undergrad, but my intention initially was to go to law school after my bachelors. So I switched up my path and after I got my undergrad in Psych I attended a masters program for social work with a focus on clinical care. Best decision I ever made.

I think all of my personal experiences influence my work. Every time I experience something new, or work with someone on an issue I've never come across before, I expand my horizons. My personal experiences are how I'm able to relate and empathize with people. I may not have ever experienced your specific trauma before, but my experiences allow me to still empathize with what it's like to feel pain, loss, joy, uncertainty...all the feels. It's actually one of my favorite things about how we all form connections with other people.

I love this question. Putting my life philosophy into a short paragraph feels like a big ask, but here we go. I'm a firm believer in the idea that none of us are simply the sum of our worst mistakes and that we're all worthy of love, happiness, and redemption. Everyone makes mistakes, every has regrets, but how we choose to embrace those aspects of life dictates how we're able to grow and rise above. So we do the best we can, to learn, to laugh, and to love, and we give ourselves and each other grace for the times we mess things up. Sometimes, we make big mistakes and that takes a lot more work to find the grace, but it's still there. And that's where my treatment philosophy overlaps. Even our worst mistakes, worst trauma's don't have to define us. It doesn't mean they're easy to live with, or something that should be cherished, it just means we don't have to carry them on our backs for the rest of our lives. Everyone deserves love, happiness, and redemption, even from ourselves.

• Michigan, Licensed Master’s Social Worker - Clinical, 6801118381

I've been working in the mental health field for about 7 years now. I started off doing crisis work and working in high acuity facilities for individuals who needed acute levels of care. From there I've spent the past three years working in community mental health administration and seeing clients in a private practice setting.