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Hello, my name is Carrie McElwee and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in California. I believe in meeting the client where they are and creating a safe space for each client to feel empowered as positive change occurs, judgment-free and unapologetically.
My approach
My mission is to promote mental health services through prevention, education, and interventions. In my professional career, I have integrated humor with a client-focused / client-centered psychotherapy approach and I am trained in using various evidence-based practices including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Seeking Safety (SS), and Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT).
My focus
As a trained trauma-informed therapist, I specialize in working with adolescents and adults within several demographics, including BIPOC and LGBTQ communities. I also work with couples facing relationship and sexual issues.
My communication style
I enjoy setting a tone/environment which is relaxed and stress-free. It can be an enjoyable experience working with me because I encourage each client to seek their personal joy and healing by giving themselves grace, but I'm not afraid to challenge my clients in order to achieve their treatment goals, work through challenges, and achieve healing in a therapeutic setting.
My journey to mental healthcare
I was working for a large school district and started seeing many children struggling with personal trauma and their academic performance after experiencing unexpected tragedies such as death, gang violence, drugs, and being bullied. I felt more should have and could have been done using the school's resources. It became my goal to see a family receive much-needed help after losing the main provider and father of one of my students. With the support of my supervisors and various teachers, the family was contacted to address their issues within the home and receive therapy. I decided at that moment I would dedicate my career to helping others. I applied to the graduate program of Social Work at CSU Dominguez Hills and the rest is history. It has been almost 5 years of doing what I love and making a difference in one's life.
My goals for you
I believe in taking time to build rapport, meeting the client where they are with a client-focused / client-centered approach. In addition, building trust within the therapeutic relationship helps the client express their goals and willingness to be open during their therapy sessions. It is also important for me to understand what the client's goals are and their expectations in therapy to best assist the clients with achieving their goals.
My first session with you
Clients can expect to spend time exploring their needs, discussing goals, and building rapport. Allowing the client to get to know the provider is key to working through difficult/challenging moments and/or exploring one's traumatic history. Of course, completing any paperwork necessary to focus on what's important, the client and their therapy journey.
