Therapists in West Homestead, PA

Hi! My name is Lauren. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker/Psychotherapist. My relational style is warm, direct, and interactive. I connect best with adults who are seeking support with these topics areas: life transitions, long-distance relationships, immigration/acculturation/ex-pat, Adult Children of Addicts (ACOAs), existential/spiritual crises, emotional effects of chronic illness, and grief and loss. It takes courage to seek support from a therapist to begin or continue addressing the challenges that keep you from living a happier life. Congratulations on achieving the first step of your journey to health. I look forward to working with you! :)

"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." ~ Anais Nin Hello. My name is Karen Gano, and I am a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker in New Mexico, Colorado, Maine, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia, and Australia. I received my Masters degree in Social Work from the University of Pittsburgh, and I have over 30 years of clinical counseling experience. My specialty is what I call Empowerment Counseling. I have a Motivational Interviewing style, and I use Compassion-Focused, Client-Centered, Solution Focused Brief (SFBT), Mindfulness, and Strength Based therapies to assist clients in improving their outlook and life. I have a holistic and goal oriented practice, working primarily with women who are going through some type of life transition whether it be separation, divorce, career changes, relocation, empty nest, illness, etc. I also provide counseling to healthcare workers as I have been a practicing medical social worker throughout my career, and I have worked in trauma, emergency medicine, critical care, oncology, palliative care, and domestic abuse. We can all benefit from talking to someone now and again. It is my primary goal to empower clients so that they can build and expand their "team," discover their voice, increase self-awareness and esteem, and make wanted changes in their life. My professional and personal mantra is "Self-Care + Time = Healing." I can help you with healthy coping strategies and tools to guide you from surviving to thriving. I very much look forward to working with you!

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Licensed in NJ and PA with over 10 years of experience working as a counselor and life coach. I have worked with clients with a wide range of concerns including depression, anxiety, relationship issues, parenting problems, career challenges, OCD, and ADHD. I also helped many people who have experienced physical trauma or emotional abuse. My therapy style is warm and interactive. I believe in treating anyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion, and I don't believe in stigmatizing labels. My approach combines cognitive-behavioral, humanistic, psychodynamic and rational-emotive therapy. I will tailor our dialog and treatment plan to meet your unique and specific needs. It takes courage to seek a more fulfilling and happier life and to take the first steps towards change. If you are ready to take that step, I am here to support and empower you. I look forward to working with you!

I am licensed in Pennsylvania with 20 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, motivation, self esteem, and confidence, career difficulties, & coping with life changes. I believe in treating everyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion. I will tailor our dialog and treatment plan to meet your unique and specific needs. It takes courage to seek out a more fulfilling and happier life and to take the first steps towards a change. I am here to support & empower you in that journey.

Rachel Ehrhardt, LPC, MSCP I am a Board Certified Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with a Masters Degree in Counseling Psychology (MSCP) from Chatham University in Pittsburgh PA. I have 25 years (since 1999) with experience with a vast range of populations in various clinical settings. I have worked with many populations in a vast range of setting. Prison. Inpatient. Outpatient. Psychiatric Wards. Nursing homes. Schools. With children. 1/2 way house. 3/4 house. Alternative Housing. Deaf & Blind people. Vocational Development. For 10 years I took people in wheelchairs & intellectual disabilities on field trips. Much of my career has been in Prison settings with, frankly, a rough crowd. People anxious to get back to their real life, their families, and out of the spider-web of Addiction and the crime associated with it. They have lost so much - are at their lowest point in their lives - desperate to feel better, live better, break the cycle. To extend my hand to them and help them get back up on their feet is a tremendous honor. Some of methodologies and direct nature are no doubt born of that experience. You will see this in my personality. I consider myself as an "Educator", as well as a therapist. As I teach a lot of skills - the biggest thing I put the most emphasis on is THOUGHTS. It's all about the thoughts. Most of us have thoughts that are in some way inaccurate, flawed, based on assumptions, fears, and distortions. The best technique for this is to ask the person what’s going on with them, and often times we learn that we were way off the mark. That’s a skill: Ask. Asking someone to help you understand. Our brains naturally fill-in-the-blanks when we don't understand something. So I teach people to examine their thoughts - see what parts may be inaccurate (thus making them unhealthy) and essentially go back to the drawing-board with establishing more accurate thinking patterns. And we need to find the facts, look at & for any evidence to dispute the faulty thought, and honor the evidence that supports the thought. I am a Solution Focused Therapist. This modality + my nature is very straight-forward. This is my strength as a clinician. What I am good at and why people choose to specifically work with me. They are done suffering. This is a good approach for people who want to get to the root of the problem rather quickly. Then seek the solution and implement it right away. People are tired of suffering. As the expression goes "If nothing changes, nothing changes". That's no longer an acceptable way to live. Doing it “your way” has kept you in the same holding pattern, repeating the same arguments, same destructive patterns. Therapy and healing is just that - a process. An experience. It takes time, practice and repetition to create new ways of thinking. We have to learn healthy Autopilots to replace those Knee-Jerk reactions that cause harm. We have to unlearn a lot of things, especially the learned behavior we carry with us from our childhood. Must unlearn and relearn. I do put it out there that I am very direct & goal oriented. I am bold and share my honest clinical assessment and feedback on where the disconnects are. What & where improvements need to be made, by whom, and how. Honesty about the situation needs to be said, by someone (which is me)....or nothing will change. To hold back what needs to be said, that is a disservice to you, and not how I operate. I am clear with people about this, call it a disclaimer if you will. I am selective about take cases I take. People open to acknowledging their shortcomings, whom are willing to work hard, crave the truth, want evidence-based resolutions backed by research, and will take my interventions and wisdom seriously. If we are honest, time & money seem to be 2 luxuries no one has anymore. With that said, working with me is very different than laying down on the Proverbial “Freudian Couch” for years on end. Generally - by the time I am invited into someone's life, it's been about 2 years of procrastinating, hoping/praying things get better. By the time someone makes an appointment - they have been suffering for a quite a long time. Desperate for relief and to get back on track. Many people have told me over the course of my career “Making the 1st appointment was the hardest part”. There is truth to back that. There is actually a Phenomenon where people start to feel better knowing they have an appointment on the books. They finally got out of their own way (sadly most people take 2 years). But just knowing that help is on the way, that major hurdle gone. In that sense, there is relief regarding having finally made a decision to do it, as waiting for things to change on their own simply hasn’t proven to be the case. I do a lot of my work in Marriage & Couples Counseling. Many couples have come to a crossroads of trying to decide to either to work it out and stay together…or go their separate ways. Some aren’t sure - but know something’s gotta give, and soon or "like now!". Being stagnate is no longer a viable option. And receiving professional counsel prior to that enormous decision - is smart, respectful of the relationship and their partner. There are new things to try, some grey-areas that are worth exploring. I am a huge proponent of leaving no stone unturned. Especially when children are involved. With couples, almost 100% of the time the issue is around 2 things: 1) Communication 2) Intimacy When communication breaks down, often intimacy goes out the window. It always comes down to one’s needs not being met. And though the other partner may want to, or is trying to meet their needs - they just don’t know "how". Or they have not yet come to understand the "why" a particular need is so important. We have to shift our mindset about our partner - they aren’t being lazy or malicious - they just don’t know, or understand. In spite of telling them repeatedly. They don’t fully grasp it…yet. In other words, they are not intentionally trying to deny us our needs. They don’t get it- yet - but they will. I see to it! One of the beauties & mysteries of why therapy works: often it’s a “I told you this a million times!!!”….type thing which is incredibly frustrating to the partner whose been saying the same thing for years. But somehow miraculously when I say it to them - it's as if they are hearing it for the very first time. It’s brand new information! (to them). It's because it is me, the specific words I use, my explanation of the science of it all. My tone, my delivery, my frankness....it all matters. I am able to harness peoples' attention and get them to actually hear and listen and comprehend. That’s one of the beauties & mysteries of why therapy works. Hearing it from a non-biased mediator (who is not their partner) makes it resonate in a new way, it sinks in, or finally sticks. A manner in which that coveys the importance and clarity that’s different and effective. And it's like a light-bulb turning on. The “aha moment” as they call it. The partner of the one that initiated the therapy often comes to me seemingly oblivious that their marriage is on the line. I wake them up to see the depth, and scope and gravity of the situation. So, once we get the other person to finally listen & hear & comprehend, we can get somewhere finally. We can identify what the “needs” are, why they are so important and can immediately start meeting them. I teach a lot about the gender differences. It is astounding not only how different men & women really are - we are wired VERY differently than each other. Example: Men are naturally inclined to "fix things". When a man can't "fix it" generally he experiences frustration which gets displayed in ways that look like anger. So I teach men how to better understand women. What she needs, why she needs it, and how to go about meeting her need. I strive to eliminate "the middle man" - which are things like confusion, anxiety, and feeling rejected. I teach women about how men are wired in general, what men generally need to feel a sense of accomplishment, what he needs from her, how to really help him understand why she is at her breaking point. How all of this factors into their dynamic, which has become dysfunctional over time in many ways. I help her figure out how to meet his need, why he needs it, etc... The key to all of this - understanding. Understanding leads to insight. Insight leads to Empathy. Once there is Empathy....that's when the good stuff happens. Couples tend to see progress right away.....when & IF they are willing to work hard. Stop doing what doesn't work....which is what brought them to me in the 1st place. When they actually follow my guidance and implement my teachings. And it's often changing little subtle things. What we perceive as those “little things”….have more weight and importance than we had realized. I work with adults whom want 1:1 sessions for themselves, or as a Couple. I do Mediation between estranged family members and couples trying to navigate divorce/custody arrangements. I do not see children or teenagers.....it's not what I excel at, and those populations are better served by clinicians whom specialize in that. I am a mom of 3, so I’m am warm & fuzzy & as call myself “fluffy” and very silly. My children are 14, 9, and 7. Boy -Girl -Boy.By the way, I carried all 3 babies/pregnancies through the Prison. That tells you a lot about my personality. I was unphased by this, never once afraid. Believe it or not - I felt safer there than walking down the street. Surprisingly - Inmates were incredibly protective of me, more so than one would imagine. I am married to my husband of 15 years whom is also a Clinician (Craig Ehrhardt). My favorite color is Yellow, a big fan of Star Wars, favorite activity is going to Thrift-Shops, and simply being in the sun. My favorite food is Tiramisu. Favorite shows to binge watch are The Office, Breaking Bad and “How it’s Made”. Hobbies are keeping up with research on Neuroscience, playing Chess, and really anything that involves Critical and Analytical Thinking - my mind is never at rest. My childhood idol was Mother Teresa- and is still my idol to this day. I try to emulate her values and instill that unconditional-kindness in my children. This Christmas me and my children made pillows to distribute to the Homeless. Our family motto is: “Be grateful, not greedy”. I am a working mom - and I know better than anyone how hard it is to multitask in this day and age. To do it all. Be all to all people. To make sacrifices day in and day out. I also know how critical Self-Care is. You and your well-being needs to be your priority right now, and exploring therapy does count as Self-Care. I clearly take A LOT as I have so much to teach you! As they say "You will never find time, you have to MAKE time". So make the time, make the investment in yourself, and hop on my schedule! Rachel Ehrhardt, LPC, MSCP ******************************************* ALSO: "Live Chat" is a wonderful option for many people. It offers a certain degree of discretion and privacy that can be done anywhere. Sometimes people do not want their partner, children or coworkers to overhear. It can be done at your desk at work, which people enjoy because they “look like” they are working. Lunch breaks seem to be a thing of the past, and we have no time, as I said before - something’s gotta give! Chat is good for if you have to be in a loud place, or have a sleeping baby! Many people whom travel use it when they are at an airport, bus, noisy place etc.. For people whom are highly anxious, it's more relaxing and feels like less pressure. For all of us that have to muilt-task (we have no choice!). And thanks to the surge in people working from home post-pandemic - we have more flexibility during the day. Options like this exist now, and people love the "Live Chat". We can see eachother typing, in real time. It's great!

I am licensed therapist in Pennsylvania with 13 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with trauma, coping with grief and loss, motivation, self-esteem and confidence, anxiety and depression. I believe in treating everyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion. I will tailor our dialogue and treatment plan to meet your unique and specific needs. Taking the first step to seeking a more fulfilling and joyful life takes courage. I am here to support you on that journey.

Are you feeling overwhelmed by life's challenges or even everyday demands? Know that you do not have to struggle alone and are worthy of a life filled with hope and serenity. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor with 12 years of experience working in community mental health in the Greater Philadelphia area with adults and older adults (55+) experiencing depression, mood swings, and anxiety. Regardless of what symptoms you are experiencing, the key to a more fulfilling life is finding hope for the future. Together we can find this hope! We can accomplish this as I create a safe, judgement-free space for you to explore your current challenges, feelings, and existing strengths. By helping you recognize choices and solutions that you may not have considered before, you will be empowered to approach life's challenges in new ways. Your new approach will result in positive outcomes in your life.

I am licensed in Pennsylvania with 10 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with coping with addictions, motivation, self esteem, and confidence, career difficulties, & coping with life changes. I work with my clients to create an open and safe environment where thoughts and feelings can be shared without fear of judgment. Taking the first step to seeking a more fulfilling and happier life takes courage. I am here to support you in that process.

I am licensed in Pennsylvania with 17 years of professional work experience. I hold an MA in clinical psychology and a PhD in Psychology well as certifications in addictions, co-occurring disorders, trauma informed care , mental health integrative medicine, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (C-DBT). I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, coping with addictions, coping with grief and loss, & bipolar disorder, and relationship challenges. I approach clinical work with an interdisciplinary focus and continues to educate myself in the areas of CBT, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, mindfulness and neuroscience. I believe in treating everyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion. I will tailor our dialogue and treatment plan to meet your unique and specific needs. Taking the first step to seeking a more fulfilling and happier life takes courage. I am here to support you in that process.

I am licensed as a Psychologist in Pennsylvania with 34 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, relationship issues, family conflicts, & motivation, self esteem, and confidence. I believe that you are the expert of your story and that you have many strengths that will assist you in overcoming things that challenge you. Taking the first step to sign up for therapy can take courage and I am proud of you for getting started!