Hello my name is Gwen. I’m a licensed clinical social worker and I have worked in the behavioral health and substance abuse field for over 20 years. My first education in the area of counseling was in my third semester of college where I was introduced to the work of Dr. Carl Rogers. Dr. Rogers believes the role of the therapist is to be an empathic presence which creates a sense of safety. When you feel safe, it allows you to dive down deeper into your experience to figure out what happened, how is that playing out in your daily life and re-creating the suffering you are trying to avoid. I believe everyone has the answers within themselves for all the questions they have about themselves and others. We live in a culture that doesn’t necessarily encourage reflection and self examination. In fact, for some it is discouraged. My empathic presence, will allow you to find your way as we walk through that experience again, seeking a sense of completion so it no longer occupies your body. Allowing you to fit better within yourself. Together we can gain deeper insight, and develop strategies to cope with emotions, and subsequent behaviors. Please let me offer you my perspective about emotion. I believe our emotions are our ‘feelings” in response to what we are sensing outside of ourselves. These emotions can be used as a roadmap in life. A road map that allows learning to better to enable you to have more control over what you say and do. Learning through self-awareness and reflection can lead to greater inner peace. In my maturation process I had to learn how to regulate my emotions and tolerate the frustration I may feel when I don’t get what I want. Using these two behaviors, emotional regulation and tolerating frustration can lead to greater self-control and typically an increase in one’s self esteem. Please join me in the voyage of you, as you seek greater inner peace.