Self-Introduction and Common Questions
I created this post to introduce myself in greater detail and to answer some of the most common questions I get from new clients. I hope you will be left with an understanding of what therapy is like with me and be better able to make a decision regarding treatment.
Hello. My name is Shaneé Hucks and I use she/her pronouns. I am a licensed marriage and family therapist associate (LMFT-A) under the supervision of Dr. Erica Carpenter. I am the owner of and a therapist at Evolve Relational Therapy, PLLC where we often help clients with relationships, use evidence-based practices, and measure your progress over time to make sure treatment is working for you.
1. What types of clients do you work with?
I work with a variety of client types including individuals, couples, and families. I also work with a variety of presenting problems including anxiety, depression, infidelity/hurtful events, communication/arguments, life transitions, making decisions about staying together, problems with sex/intimacy, trauma, and more.
However, most of my clients are wanting to create a better relationship that is full of safety, trust, and intimate/emotional connection.
2. What is your role as a therapist?
I have many roles as a therapist. Most often, I am actively helping clients map out negative, reciprocal, interaction patterns that relationships often get caught by, helping clients to externalize this pattern as the problem, and helping clients to have new/meaningful conversations in session that challenge old beliefs or ways of interacting.
For individuals, this looks similar except we are focusing on what you can do to make changes regarding your part in the system or we are working on your relationship to a specific problem.
Here is a brief example of what it might look like to map out your relationship to Depression:
-You feel hopeless and like noting you do will shake Depression.
-You decide to stay in bed rather than going to work.
-When you don’t go to work Depression grows larger and you feel more hopeless.
You can see how easy it is to get caught in these negative, reinforcing patterns. Relationships get caught by the same types of patterns; they are just a bit more complex to map out.
3. What is your model or theory?
I am familiar with a variety of models/theories, and I tailor treatment to fit your needs. The model I end up using depends upon your client type (individual, partner, or family), what you are hoping to gain from therapy, the research on effective treatments associated with your presenting problem, and your individual factors (how you like to receive information, what works for you, etc.).
I utilize emotionally focused therapy (EFT) as a base for most of my clients. This is primarily because most of my clients are wanting help with relationships, EFT is strongly evidence based, and it is grounded on the science of adult relationships and attachment theory.
However, I think it is important for you to know that therapy models have more in common than they do different. Finding a therapist should be more about fining someone you connect with rather than finding someone who can use a particular model.
Lastly, I pride myself on being a systemic therapist. Basically, no matter what we are doing, I see you and your presenting problem in the context of systems and relationships.
4. What are you like as a therapist?
This is a difficult question to answer because I am so many things. I am active, a good listener, validating, supportive, knowedgable, and creative. Often, I am having to direct conversational traffic to keep people from interrupting each other or stepping on the other person’s emotional experience. I quite enjoy finding client strengths and reflecting those back to you. I just do my best to show up fully and meet you where you are.
Conclusion
Although it has been difficult to put into words, I hope you have a better sense of me and what I do. You can contact me to discuss what treatment might look like tailored to your needs or concerns. You can also read more about the 5 Things to Expect from Your First Therapy Session if you are feeling a bit nervous about what takes place or check out some of our other articles.
This post was intended for informational purposes only. Please consult with a professional when making decisions regarding mental health care.