My Approach to Helping
You can learn more about me here! Hi, I’m Emily.
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor-Associate with a Master of Science in Clinical Counseling from Divine Mercy University, supervised by Angela Waggoner, MA, Ph.D., CSC, LPC-S, LCDC, NCC. I am also the owner of Lakeside Counseling.
I get the mental health stuff, because I’ve been there. I was diagnosed with an eating disorder, major depression, and generalized anxiety right out of high school. It was scary, and I quickly fell into some of the darkest spaces of my life. I floundered around wondering “what’s the point?” and relied heavily on unhealthy coping mechanisms to make it worth waking up each day.
I started working with an amazing counselor who taught me coping skills that I still use today. As I worked with her and learned about behavior and the human mind, I couldn’t get enough. Today, I use my experiences to help others. I am happy, healthy, fulfilled, and oftentimes in awe of what my life has become.
While our stories may not be exactly the same, my experience helps me offer genuine empathy for any struggle you’re facing. I am living proof that when there is life (no matter how little the spark is), there is hope.
My philosophy looks at the whole person. The whole is much greater than the sum of its parts, and this perspective is required to facilitate personal growth. I work to incorporate all facets of a person’s life into treatment.
When we first meet at ground level zero, I always start with unconditional positive regard, which means I believe in you and your strengths no matter where you’ve been, what you’ve done, or how you view yourself. It will be rare to hear something I have not heard before, and you can trust in knowing there is absolutely no judgement as we explore your core self and influential life experiences.
My goal as a therapist is to meet you wherever you are in your journey and support your growth, transformation, and healing in the best way possible for you. To accomplish this, I utilize an eclectic style, which simply means I pull from different treatment methods to find what works best in your situation. One-size-fits all treatment styles don’t account for your unique individuality, so we’ll work together to find what fits. This is where teamwork comes into play to determine the best route forward for your overall success.