Gretchen Tucker LPC

In my teen years and through college, I started to realize that art and writing were the easiest ways for me to express my thoughts and feelings. Whenever I struggled to express myself, I would turn to art-making or writing as a path toward understanding myself. This became a useful path for me to also share my thoughts and feelings with others. Because of that, I knew that art and creative self-expression was a vital part of my life, and I began to realize what kind of positive impact it could have on others and on their mental health and wellness. Once I put all those puzzle pieces together for myself, it was a simple decision to pursue art therapy and counseling as a career.

I know that finances can be one of the biggest barriers for anyone to pursue therapy today. Because of this, I choose to accept private pay clients and to panel myself with insurance companies, so that people have the option for either avenue. Using your insurance to pay for outpatient mental health treatment is an option that seems to be harder and harder to find. I want people to know that they are worthy of good quality mental health care, and that there are places they can receive this care, without having to take on so much of the financial burden themselves.

I have been specializing in trauma treatment for over 6 years, and I have discovered that most people do not have any opportunity to learn about trauma until trauma happens to them. One thing that is fundamental in my practice is helping folks to understand how our brain and nervous system operate, how we can expect them to operate when things are "good" and how we can expect them to operate after traumatic events or experiences. When we have more information about how our brain and nervous system function, we can choose a better path forward.

• Pennsylvania, Licensed Professional Counselor, PC013844