Hello and thank you for stopping by. I am a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker specializing in women’s issues. As a Clinical Social Worker licensed in Ohio, I am facilitating sessions via a very user-friendly, HIPAA compliant, video-conferencing platform.
If you are experiencing distress due to the uncertainties of our times (and/or other combined stressors), please feel free to get in touch with me.
With over 25+ years of clinical experience, I have chosen to specialize in and devote my practice to the healing of women. As such, among my areas of expertise are Anxiety/Depression (they frequently, but not always, co-occur), Trauma/PTSD, (particularly working with Adult Survivors of Abuse), Adult Children of Alcoholics, Disordered eating, Loss/Grief, including pet loss. Our four-legged loved ones are members of our families (if not our closest members) and this is not something that needs to be explained if this describes you. I welcome and am accepting/affirming of potential clients from LGBTQ+ communities. (That said, please note: I am not trained to prepare reports/provide documentation for those who are considering and/or are in the process of transitioning that may involve surgery and/or hormones.) I believe that “the personal is political and the political is personal”. As such, client empowerment is often requisite for claiming one’s life, one’s identity and sense of self.
In that many of the life issues I have mentioned typically exist within the context of others; family, friends, partners, spouses, significant others, peers, coworkers, etc., I can assist you (on an individual basis) to address relationship difficulties that you may be experiencing. If you are a trauma survivor, you may feel alone, isolated, fearful, and perhaps, even feel alienated. Having a history of trauma and/or abuse may predispose you to feel cut-off from and/or misunderstood by others. You are not alone. That’s why I’m here and do what I do.
I believe that the development of trust within the therapeutic relationship forms the core of our work from which healing and growth emerge. I do not “work on you”, but rather channel your strengths to enhance your resiliency. With people who have survived trauma/abuse, I tend to facilitate trauma-informed care more often than trauma-focused. The two are not to be mistaken. The first one tends to have more of an empowering outcome whereas the second one may cause a person to re-live one’s traumas, particularly if a therapist is too hasty and does not spend enough time helping a client to build the internal and external supports/resources that are needed in order to undergo the intensity of this kind of work. There is a time and purpose for trauma-focused therapy; however, this needs to be addressed by only the most skillful and emotionally attuned of therapists. It requires patience and experience on the therapist’s part. My training and background have provided me with the combination of approaches that have yielded positive outcomes in working with abuse/trauma survivors. I assure you that my practice is definitely not a “once size fits all”.
As a therapist, I believe in an egalitarian model of therapy. Therapy is a reciprocal process in which we both learn from one another. This entails honesty and vulnerability. As human beings, we all have our “blind spots”. These are areas for growth and a process of gradual discovery. With my specific education, training and experience, I am here to serve as a catalyst of change, but regard you as an equal as we embark in this process together.
My life has not followed an exactly linear path. As a woman, I, too, have weathered some of life’s storms. If anything, this has enhanced my capacity for empathy, compassion, and perhaps, even led me to specialize in the work I do today and bring that “something extra” to my work. I welcome all cultures and backgrounds. As the late poet, Walt Whitman wrote: “...not until the sun excludes you do I exclude you”.
Please feel free to contact me at: (216) 584-9224, or email: [email protected]. There is a contact form at the bottom of this page for your convenience. We will have the opportunity to become initially acquainted when we speak for 15-20” over the telephone prior to scheduling your appointment.
Typically, your call will be returned within 24 hours, sometimes much sooner. I will return calls to a potential client or health care provider(s) only.* I welcome the opportunity to speak with you and help you begin to ease & heal your emotional wounds and distress; to help you let go of that which has been standing in your way.
Thank you for stopping by....Alex 🌻 (The sunflower symbolizes that which can still thrive under adverse conditions.)
*Calls from sales, marketing companies, etc. will not be returned. If you are calling on behalf of another person, your call will also not be returned.
Education: Case Western Reserve University
Gestalt Institute of Cleveland
License, Certifications: Licensed Independent Social Worker-Supervisory Designation (LISW-S)
Board-Certified Diplomate in Clinical Social Work (BCD) Emeritus
Academy of Certified Social Workers (ACSW)
Professional Activities and Memberships:
National Association of Social Workers
American Clinical Social Work Association
Psychotherapy Action Network (PsiAN)
“…Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.” —Martin Niemoller