Patrick Turbiville

LCSW, TLHT Licensed Clinical Social Worker (Telehealth Registration), LCSW (Telehealth Registration)

I approach therapy in a casual but methodical way. Most of the time, sessions with me feel like a natural conversation, but you will begin to notice my various tools for digging beneath to surface to answer challenging questions and identify possible solutions. I help clients develop language to better understand the problems they experience. I also value flexibility in my practice, which means that, if something about therapy isn't working for you, we will find a different way to do therapy. Last but not least, I want therapy to be at least a little bit fun. If we're doing it right, we should be laughing together (and we will probably cry together, too).

The most common take-home message for my clients is to be kind and patient with yourself. Apart from that, sessions can feel more complete if there is an action to take or a perspective to try on between sessions. I don't usually give traditional "homework" to complete between sessions, but we will likely identify an important action to take next, usually the next small, achievable step in the direction you would like to travel. Sometimes that step isn't an action, but a way of thinking to practice or an idea to consider. If the action or perspective doesn't stick, then we will get creative to identify something that feels more achievable or resonates more with your way of thinking.

Over the past few years, I completed substantial training in the field of eating disorders and body image, earning the Inclusive Eating Disorder Specialist certification. Learning about eating disorders and body image has opened my eyes to issues in society, communities, families, and individuals that profoundly affect our relationship to food and body. This includes the influences of the diet industry, sexism, racism, and discrimination and misinformation in the health care system. In recent years, a shift has brought body positive, Health-At-Every-Size, and Intuitive Eating perspectives into the mainstream of the eating disorder field. This has made treatment more inclusive and less likely to cause further harm to people already struggling with complex and deeply challenging eating and body image issues.