Tina White

Do you feel weighed down in your daily life by anxiety, depression, or low self-esteem? Have you experienced past trauma or abuse that is negatively affecting your relationships and daily life? Together we can work on strategies to heal and recover from past trauma, cope with difficult emotions more effectively, increase self-esteem, and feel more content with your life and relationships. I utilize a strengths-based, non-judgmental approach that integrates various modalities and evidenced-based practices to help adults of all ages learn ways to cope in healthier ways with life stressors, past abuse or trauma, reduce negative symptoms, and understand the connections between your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. My experience, training, and approach are especially helpful for survivors of trauma, life transitions, psychological distress, and identity issues.

My approach

Depending on the needs and goals of each client I utilize several therapeutic approaches and best practices including cognitive behavioral therapy, grief therapy, solution-focused therapy, mindfulness practice, and motivational interviewing. My approach helps clients process and heal from past abuse, feel more comfortable with their gender or sexual identity, and better understand patterns in their lives such as distorted thinking or negative core beliefs, often stemming from childhood. Identifying these negative patterns and changing the way you think can change the way you feel, behave, and interact with others.

My focus

My experience and approach tend to be most effective with adults of any age, sexuality, or gender identity who are struggling with symptoms of anxiety and depression, low self-esteem, past trauma or abuse, substance abuse issues, life transitions, and grief. I am also part of the LGBTQI community and have extensive clinical experience working with members of that community. I tend to be very solution-focused though try to adapt my approach to the needs of each client. My perspective on therapy is that for most people, therapy is not needed indefinitely. I often ask questions like "How will you know when you got out of therapy what you needed?", or "What will be different about your life when therapy ends?". I often use worksheets and structured sessions to make sure that we are actively addressing a client's goals. CBT and mindfulness in particular are very effective in managing symptoms of anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. I have extensive experience working with survivors of trauma and have completed the 40-hour training for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault and utilize components of Seeking Safety, a therapeutic program/model for people suffering from trauma and substance abuse.

My communication style

I tend to use a calm, measured, thoughtful tone. I often try to seek feedback on what a client is thinking during the session and regularly check in with them on how they feel things are going. I use a relational, friendly, natural approach to put clients at ease. I often use reflective listening to make sure I am interpreting what is said by a client in a way that they intended.

My journey to mental healthcare

I've been a Licensed Clinical Social Worker since 2009. I grew up in a small Midwestern town and after traveling for a few years abroad wanted to work in social services to help clients from all backgrounds move from surviving to thriving so decided to get my MSW. Initially, my work and interest were focused on how systemic issues such as racism, sexism, and bias against the LGBTQI community impact individuals and families. I find that using a systemic lens and grounding people's individual experiences in the larger society can help minimize shame or feelings of personal failure when someone is struggling with things like identity issues or depression or substance abuse. I have completed extensive training to work with survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault including two 40-hour training, certification as a DV counselor, and the PAIP training (Partner Abuse Intervention Program). In addition, I have completed many trainings related to working with survivors of trauma including Seeking Safety, an evidenced-based practice for people with co-occurring trauma and PTSD and substance use, harm reduction to address substance use issues, and motivational interviewing.

My goals for you

My approach helps clients better understand patterns in their lives such as distorted thinking or negative core beliefs that are negatively impacting their self-esteem, relationships, and overall wellness. Identifying negative patterns and changing the way you think can change the way you feel and interact with others in the world in a more positive way. I have helped many clients dramatically improve their lives by learning ways to manage symptoms of anxiety and depression more effectively, recover from past trauma, increase self-esteem, and feel comfortable with their identity. Often we feel that we are at the mercy of our own emotions and experiences and unable to do anything about them or our own negative core beliefs. While some things are out of our control, we have the internal power to change how we understand ourselves, cope with stressors, and interact with others in healthier ways. My approach helps clients manage symptoms, function in healthier ways, and increase natural support and skills so that therapy is no longer needed.

My first session with you

In the first or second session, I often ask something like "What will be different when you're done with therapy?" I am very intentional in helping clients to define therapy goals and develop a "roadmap" to get there. I often use worksheets and information each session to directly address the underlying issues that brought you to therapy. In addition, I will gather information to complete an overall assessment of personal history, symptoms, and issues that you would like support with and start to establish desired goals of therapy. I won't fire off questions at you but rather have a conversation about what brought you to therapy and what you hope to get out of it. I will also ask you what questions you have for me or the therapy process in general and establish frequency and time for future sessions.