Rachel Ehrhardt, LPC, MSCP
I am a Board Certified Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with a Masters Degree in Counseling Psychology (MSCP) from Chatham University in Pittsburgh PA. I have 25 years (since 1999) with experience with a vast range of populations in various clinical settings.
I have worked with many populations in a vast range of setting. Prison. Inpatient. Outpatient. Psychiatric Wards. Nursing homes. Schools. With children. 1/2 way house. 3/4 house. Alternative Housing. Deaf & Blind people. Vocational Development. For 10 years I took people in wheelchairs & intellectual disabilities on field trips.
Much of my career has been in Prison settings with, frankly, a rough crowd. People anxious to get back to their real life, their families, and out of the spider-web of Addiction and the crime associated with it. They have lost so much – are at their lowest point in their lives – desperate to feel better, live better, break the cycle. To extend my hand to them and help them get back up on their feet is a tremendous honor. Some of methodologies and direct nature are no doubt born of that experience. You will see this in my personality.
I consider myself as an “Educator”, as well as a therapist. As I teach a lot of skills – the biggest thing I put the most emphasis on is THOUGHTS. It’s all about the thoughts. Most of us have thoughts that are in some way inaccurate, flawed, based on assumptions, fears, and distortions. The best technique for this is to ask the person what’s going on with them, and often times we learn that we were way off the mark. That’s a skill: Ask. Asking someone to help you understand.
Our brains naturally fill-in-the-blanks when we don’t understand something. So I teach people to examine their thoughts – see what parts may be inaccurate (thus making them unhealthy) and essentially go back to the drawing-board with establishing more accurate thinking patterns. And we need to find the facts, look at & for any evidence to dispute the faulty thought, and honor the evidence that supports the thought.
I am a Solution Focused Therapist. This modality + my nature is very straight-forward. This is my strength as a clinician. What I am good at and why people choose to specifically work with me. They are done suffering. This is a good approach for people who want to get to the root of the problem rather quickly. Then seek the solution and implement it right away. People are tired of suffering. As the expression goes “If nothing changes, nothing changes”. That’s no longer an acceptable way to live. Doing it “your way” has kept you in the same holding pattern, repeating the same arguments, same destructive patterns.
Therapy and healing is just that – a process. An experience. It takes time, practice and repetition to create new ways of thinking. We have to learn healthy Autopilots to replace those Knee-Jerk reactions that cause harm. We have to unlearn a lot of things, especially the learned behavior we carry with us from our childhood. Must unlearn and relearn.
I do put it out there that I am very direct & goal oriented. I am bold and share my honest clinical assessment and feedback on where the disconnects are. What & where improvements need to be made, by whom, and how. Honesty about the situation needs to be said, by someone (which is me)….or nothing will change. To hold back what needs to be said, that is a disservice to you, and not how I operate. I am clear with people about this, call it a disclaimer if you will. I am selective about take cases I take. People open to acknowledging their shortcomings, whom are willing to work hard, crave the truth, want evidence-based resolutions backed by research, and will take my interventions and wisdom seriously.
If we are honest, time & money seem to be 2 luxuries no one has anymore. With that said, working with me is very different than laying down on the Proverbial “Freudian Couch” for years on end.
Generally – by the time I am invited into someone’s life, it’s been about 2 years of procrastinating, hoping/praying things get better. By the time someone makes an appointment – they have been suffering for a quite a long time. Desperate for relief and to get back on track.
Many people have told me over the course of my career “Making the 1st appointment was the hardest part”. There is truth to back that. There is actually a Phenomenon where people start to feel better knowing they have an appointment on the books. They finally got out of their own way (sadly most people take 2 years). But just knowing that help is on the way, that major hurdle gone. In that sense, there is relief regarding having finally made a decision to do it, as waiting for things to change on their own simply hasn’t proven to be the case.
I do a lot of my work in Marriage & Couples Counseling. Many couples have come to a crossroads of trying to decide to either to work it out and stay together…or go their separate ways. Some aren’t sure – but know something’s gotta give, and soon or “like now!”.
Being stagnate is no longer a viable option. And receiving professional counsel prior to that enormous decision – is smart, respectful of the relationship and their partner. There are new things to try, some grey-areas that are worth exploring. I am a huge proponent of leaving no stone unturned. Especially when children are involved.
With couples, almost 100% of the time the issue is around 2 things:
1) Communication
2) Intimacy
When communication breaks down, often intimacy goes out the window. It always comes down to one’s needs not being met. And though the other partner may want to, or is trying to meet their needs – they just don’t know “how”. Or they have not yet come to understand the “why” a particular need is so important. We have to shift our mindset about our partner – they aren’t being lazy or malicious – they just don’t know, or understand. In spite of telling them repeatedly. They don’t fully grasp it…yet. In other words, they are not intentionally trying to deny us our needs. They don’t get it- yet – but they will. I see to it!
One of the beauties & mysteries of why therapy works: often it’s a “I told you this a million times!!!”….type thing which is incredibly frustrating to the partner whose been saying the same thing for years. But somehow miraculously when I say it to them – it’s as if they are hearing it for the very first time. It’s brand new information! (to them). It’s because it is me, the specific words I use, my explanation of the science of it all. My tone, my delivery, my frankness….it all matters. I am able to harness peoples’ attention and get them to actually hear and listen and comprehend. That’s one of the beauties & mysteries of why therapy works. Hearing it from a non-biased mediator (who is not their partner) makes it resonate in a new way, it sinks in, or finally sticks. A manner in which that coveys the importance and clarity that’s different and effective. And it’s like a light-bulb turning on. The “aha moment” as they call it. The partner of the one that initiated the therapy often comes to me seemingly oblivious that their marriage is on the line. I wake them up to see the depth, and scope and gravity of the situation.
So, once we get the other person to finally listen & hear & comprehend, we can get somewhere finally. We can identify what the “needs” are, why they are so important and can immediately start meeting them.
I teach a lot about the gender differences. It is astounding not only how different men & women really are – we are wired VERY differently than each other. Example: Men are naturally inclined to “fix things”. When a man can’t “fix it” generally he experiences frustration which gets displayed in ways that look like anger. So I teach men how to better understand women. What she needs, why she needs it, and how to go about meeting her need. I strive to eliminate “the middle man” – which are things like confusion, anxiety, and feeling rejected. I teach women about how men are wired in general, what men generally need to feel a sense of accomplishment, what he needs from her, how to really help him understand why she is at her breaking point. How all of this factors into their dynamic, which has become dysfunctional over time in many ways. I help her figure out how to meet his need, why he needs it, etc… The key to all of this – understanding. Understanding leads to insight. Insight leads to Empathy. Once there is Empathy….that’s when the good stuff happens.
Couples tend to see progress right away…..when & IF they are willing to work hard. Stop doing what doesn’t work….which is what brought them to me in the 1st place. When they actually follow my guidance and implement my teachings. And it’s often changing little subtle things. What we perceive as those “little things”….have more weight and importance than we had realized.
I work with adults whom want 1:1 sessions for themselves, or as a Couple. I do Mediation between estranged family members and couples trying to navigate divorce/custody arrangements. I do not see children or teenagers…..it’s not what I excel at, and those populations are better served by clinicians whom specialize in that.
I am a mom of 3, so I’m am warm & fuzzy & as call myself “fluffy” and very silly. My children are 14, 9, and 7. Boy -Girl -Boy.By the way, I carried all 3 babies/pregnancies through the Prison. That tells you a lot about my personality. I was unphased by this, never once afraid. Believe it or not – I felt safer there than walking down the street. Surprisingly – Inmates were incredibly protective of me, more so than one would imagine.
I am married to my husband of 15 years whom is also a Clinician (Craig Ehrhardt). My favorite color is Yellow, a big fan of Star Wars, favorite activity is going to Thrift-Shops, and simply being in the sun. My favorite food is Tiramisu. Favorite shows to binge watch are The Office, Breaking Bad and “How it’s Made”. Hobbies are keeping up with research on Neuroscience, playing Chess, and really anything that involves Critical and Analytical Thinking – my mind is never at rest.
My childhood idol was Mother Teresa- and is still my idol to this day. I try to emulate her values and instill that unconditional-kindness in my children. This Christmas me and my children made pillows to distribute to the Homeless. Our family motto is: “Be grateful, not greedy”.
I am a working mom – and I know better than anyone how hard it is to multitask in this day and age. To do it all. Be all to all people. To make sacrifices day in and day out. I also know how critical Self-Care is. You and your well-being needs to be your priority right now, and exploring therapy does count as Self-Care.
I clearly take A LOT as I have so much to teach you!
As they say “You will never find time, you have to MAKE time”. So make the time, make the investment in yourself, and hop on my schedule!
Rachel Ehrhardt, LPC, MSCP
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ALSO: “Live Chat” is a wonderful option for many people. It offers a certain degree of discretion and privacy that can be done anywhere. Sometimes people do not want their partner, children or coworkers to overhear. It can be done at your desk at work, which people enjoy because they “look like” they are working. Lunch breaks seem to be a thing of the past, and we have no time, as I said before – something’s gotta give! Chat is good for if you have to be in a loud place, or have a sleeping baby! Many people whom travel use it when they are at an airport, bus, noisy place etc.. For people whom are highly anxious, it’s more relaxing and feels like less pressure. For all of us that have to muilt-task (we have no choice!). And thanks to the surge in people working from home post-pandemic – we have more flexibility during the day. Options like this exist now, and people love the “Live Chat”. We can see eachother typing, in real time. It’s great!
