Joan Lanning

Joan Lanning, Ph.D., LPC, NCC GA LPC# 004098 NCC# 54318. Therapy is a partnership, so I like to establish safety and comfortable communication as quickly as possible. Gathering individual and family histories increases comfort while also providing important information for identifying the goals and needs of the client(s). As a collaborative process, therapy includes the important exercise of evaluating progress and making appropriate adjustments to goals. Focus areas of practice include mood disorders, relationship/communication problems, and trauma & stress-related disorders.

My approach

My belief is that the majority of people are competent. Given self-knowledge and therapeutic tools, people can learn to problem solve and live their lives more in the manner they desire. My approach to therapy is to respect the abilities of the client and enable the client to access those abilities more readily as well as develop new skills. Each client is unique, but commonalities are shared in presenting problems across the human race. Therefore, my approach is eclectic. I attempt to customize treatment plans to the diagnosis while considering the personality and receptiveness of the client. I often utilize cognitive behavioral therapy, solution-focused brief therapy, mindfulness, and trauma resolution therapies such as EMDR.

My focus

My experience as a therapist includes all age groups from preschool to geriatric clients. Teaching child development and parenting skills in the past has been invaluable in working with adults who are the main focus of my current practice. While I have worked with people from almost all socio-economic levels (women in prison to corporation executives), most clients are from the middle class. I have worked with individuals and families from a wide variety of circumstances including the military, the foster care/child protective system, general or average families, and trauma victims, (natural disasters and victims of abuse, war, or other man-made trauma). I am most comfortable treating depression and anxiety disorders, family system issues, relationship problems, and trauma-related disorders.

My communication style

Many issues of self-esteem and communication are grounded in shame. The environment I seek to create is one that is compassionate, understanding, encouraging, free from shame, and with an expectation of success. One of my highest priorities is that people feel safe to describe events and reactions without fear of judgment and criticism. One end result of therapy is aimed at enabling the client to explore causational factors and eventually reframe the experience into an emotionally manageable life event. Throughout this process, learning to be comfortable with accountability is vital to the client's outcome.