Hi, my name is Menzo Faassen. I received my B.S. in Psychology in 1999 from Middle Tennessee State University and I received my M.S. in Community Counseling from Austin Peay State University in 2009. I work full time in Richmond, Virginia (moved here in January of 2022). I work in an outpatient clinic in the Richmond, VA area. I have worked in a variety of therapy settings including outpatient, Intensive Outpatient, Residential Substance Abuse, and Partial Hospitalization. I have worked with clients with a variety of issues but my areas that I am most adept at are trauma, addiction, depression, grief/loss and LGBT issues. I am also a proud member of the LGBT community. My approach to therapy starts out with the basic Rogerian (person centered approach). But, I also incorporate Psychodramatic techniques into my therapy (I can only do this in video sessions). Psychodrama was created by J. L. Moreno and seeks to use a persons creativity and spontaneity in the healing process. Some techniques from this method include doubling (helping you speak your unspoken truth), role techniques (role play, role taking, and role reversal) and empty chair. I’m also fluent in cognitive behavioral therapy. I start where you are. I believe that you are the expert on you and that this is your therapy not mine. So I will tailor my approach and style to what your goal (not my goal) is. I can be as directive as you need. I can function well dealing with thoughts and emotions, looking for solutions, and even a look into reality. A few things to be aware of: 1. While you can send messages to me 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, you may not get an immediate response. Depending on what time you sign up, I could be sleeping, eating, or working with another client. I do respond within 24 hours of getting a new client and often will respond sooner, but you will probably not get an instant response from me. Bear in mind that I do have a full time job that I work during the day. I am not able to respond between the hours of 8 AM and 6 PM (Eastern Standard Time in the US). Please be patient with this. 2. Prior to beginning therapy I request that you send me your home address and phone number. If you prefer you can send a copy of a photo ID. I request this information for a few reasons. The first is so that if there is an emergency (you present with a plan to hurt yourself or somebody else, or I suspect there is child abuse involved) I can alert the authorities in your location. It is also my ethical duty to assure that I am licensed to provide services in the state you reside. 3. Sending messages back and forth is fine, but you will get more value out of BetterHelp if you schedule a live chat, phone or video session with me. You can do that by selecting the schedule session on the right hand side of the screen. 4. It helps to have a goal in therapy, so one question that I will ask is “what do you want to get out of therapy” or “what brought you to therapy”. I only ask so we have a direction to go. 5. The more information I have about you the better. So, in way of introduction, some things you may want to share include (your childhood information, any traumatic events, previous relationships, current relationships, work history, family background/relationships, your previous therapy experience, etc.). In other words, use the first message to give me the autobiography of you. I have been in counseling myself and know how scary it can be to enter into the process and I try to make this as comfortable as possible. I look forward to walking with you as you begin this journey of healing and transformation.