Holly HemmingerLCSW

"Feeling Good" by David Burns changed the way that I practice! It was by reading this book that I began to realize the power our thoughts have over our emotions and actions. It taught me that if we can learn to challenge our negative thoughts it can have a profound impact on our ability to change our lives for the better.

When I was a teenager I was forced into court-ordered therapy. I feel like I gained nothing from this, even though I am sure that the therapist tried the best they could to help me. As I started to be a provider myself, I looked back on this experience and recognized that a person really has to be ready to make their own changes and to even talk about them in the first place. I let this guide my practice, so I always make sure to go at the client's pace and not force them into talking about or doing anything that they are not ready for.

I try to learn as much as I can about a client, as they are the experts of their own situation. Once I have a good understanding of what the client has been through, I then direct them through questions like, "so how would you like things to be different now" and "what would you like to do with that information." This leads to a collaboration to develop treatment goals, with a combination of what the client wants to achieve and how I can help them get there.

• New Mexico, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, C-11012

I began practicing as a therapist working with youth involved in the juvenile justice system and their families. After doing this intensive family work for a few years, I began providing individual and couple's therapy with an agency who provided services for the community. In this work I began specializing in anxiety, depression, and behavior alteration. When I started this work, it happened to be right at the start of the Covid pandemic so I had to quickly adapt to providing telehealth services. Since then, I have learned all of the advantages that can come with telehealth. I have thus been transitioning into private practice where I plan to continue to provide telehealth services to those who might otherwise not be able to have access!