Therapists in Kingwood, WV

Hi! My name is Tamara. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor and I have been working in the counseling field since 2001. I hold certifications as a National Board Certified Counselor, School Counselor and Violence, Loss and Trauma Counseling. I earned my Master's in Counseling and Educational Specialist in Counselor Supervision degrees from Marshall University Graduate College, where I also work as an adjunct professor. I have experience working with clients of all ages, school aged to adult, who have experienced depression, anxiety, relationship and family issues, self-esteem, self-harm, PTSD, and trauma. I use a variety of therapeutic approaches including impact therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, solution-focused, transactional analysis, choice theory and trauma therapies. I tailor my approach to you and your needs. I believe it is important to find a therapist who is a good fit. I am a compassionate and straightforward counselor who is genuinely interested in the improvement in your quality of life. I believe we all need a little help and support from time to time, and I hope to help erase the stigma that is sometimes associated with "seeing a counselor". It takes courage to reach out. If you are ready to take that next step, I am ready to work with you. I work full time as a school counselor, so I schedule my own appointments. Once we determine that we are a good fit for working together, you can tell me times that work best for you for an appointment, and I will schedule . It has been my privilege and honor to work with my clients, and I am looking forward to working with you.

I am a licensed professional counselor and approved licensed professional supervisor in West Virginia with over 8 years providing individual and group therapy in various settings. I have worked with clients with a wide range of concerns including depression, anxiety, relationship issues, parenting problems, managing moods, life stressors, career challenges, OCD, and ADHD. I am certified to work with clients that have experienced trauma. My counseling style is warm and collaborative. I believe in treating anyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion, and I don't believe in stigmatizing labels. My approach combines cognitive-behavioral, humanistic, and psychodynamic counseling. I use a holistic variety of approaches to address each client's specific concerns/needs. My passion is to help others gain a better insight and understanding on themselves, overall improve well being and develop skills to utilize in different aspects of their daily lives. Therapy is a collaborative journey and I look forward to working with you!

I have been a counselor for 26 years now and have worked with many clients and in different settings, including private practice, inpatient hospitalization, in home counseling, agency counselor, residential and lots of crisis settings. It has been a pleasure to help many people with so many different problems including depression, trauma and abuse, addictions, anxiety, family conflict and grief and loss issues and many others. I utilize many different approaches such as CBT, DBT, motivational interviewing, trauma informed, narrative, client centered. I prefer to match my therapy style with what the client needs. I am a good listener and value the rapport and or relationship building as an essential part of the client and therapy process. I have a very gentle style with my interactions but will challenge you when needed. It is my goal to help you learn the coping skills, tools you need to help you to live a life worth living and be your best self! :)

Hello! Welcome to BetterHelp! I'm so proud of you for deciding to take care of yourself and joining me at BetterHelp! I look forward to getting to know you. I understand that you’re nervous --that’s common and to be expected! Taking the first step is always the hardest in anything we pursue in life- I am here to give you the support, encouragement and empowerment to take control of your life! You can rest assured that you have found a safe and supportive environment here at Better Help. We will start out by getting to know each other more and how I can help. I'm always open to your feedback about how it's going and what you need. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in the states of South Carolina, West Virginia and Maine with over 17 years of behavioral health experience working with individuals and families in multiple settings including community mental health, emergency room, private practice and telehealth. Throughout my career, I have worked with symptoms including but not limited to depression, anxiety, stress management, anger management and relationship issues among others. In working with patients, I refer to Person-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness and Solution-Focused Therapy. I check messages 2-3 times per day, Monday-Thursday up until 3:30 pm and Friday up until 12:00 pm. Saturdays and Sundays are my days off, as well as holidays. I am based out of South Carolina and therefore am on EST. With this said, I would like to establish a few general guidelines: counseling can be empowering but it also requires a commitment to change- please be patient as symptoms and issues are processed and explored and understand that it takes time to gain strength. Most presenting symptoms are deep rooted and require more than a few short correspondences to fully resolve. Also, please be mindful that this is a paid subscription so it is to your advantage to actively participate in treatment and keep the lines of communication open. Please take note that after two no shows or same day appointment cancellations, I will recommend that you switch to another provider. My time is just as valuable as yours and appointment no shows and cancellations result in financial loss. I also ask that you please understand that not all cases are appropriate for online counseling and some are better suited for an office setting. I do not accept any cases with substance abuse or addiction of any kind as a chief complaint. Please remember you have access to the room 24/7 and may write as much as you want, anytime. Longer posts from you typically take me a few days to process and fully respond to. Also, few logistics as we start - here's information about: 1) the informed consent 2) confidentiality 3) safety I want to be sure to go over informed consent and mandated reporting and some other important information. Your emergency contact information is secure and I am bound by confidentiality, which means everything you tell me stays in this room with the following exceptions, as I am a mandated reporter: (1) if you are suicidal/homicidal, (2) abuse/neglect to a child, elderly or disabled person, (3) if I am subpoenaed by a court. Informed consent means you are consenting to therapy services with me and understand all of your rights, as explained in the informed consent document you sign. You will receive a request to complete your emergency contact information which must be completed before we start working together. The information will never be used if you become silent, but only in a true emergency, as I am always going to do my best to ensure your safety. Speaking of safety, as we work together I want to let you know that BetterHelp is not a crisis center. Please make note of the emergency procedures and resources listed below should a crisis arise during my time off or when I am offline. Even though there is an option to mark messages as urgent please do not use that for crisis situations. Marking a message as urgent does not ensure I will see it or respond quicker. Urgent/Emergent Resources: You can go to your local emergency room, call 911, or call 1-833-929-1721 www.hopeline.com to access a database of suicide crisis hotlines or dial 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433) from your area and you will be immediately connected with a trained crisis counselor. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 for crisis support. Please take note of the following additional resources for urgent/emergent crisis situations: FOR SOUTH CAROLINA RESIDENTS: South Carolina Mobile Crisis: 1-833-364-2274 South Carolina NAMI: 1-800-950-6264 Crisis Text Line: 741741 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673 FOR WEST VIRGINIA RESIDENTS: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 Crisis Text Line: 741741. NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness): (304) 445-7866 Call or text 844-HELP4WV (844-435-7498). HELP4WV offers a 24/7 call, chat and text line that provides immediate help for any West Virginian struggling with an addiction or mental health issue. Help304 - West Virginia's Emotional Strength Line: Call 1-877-HELP304, text 877-435-7304 or chat (www.help304.com). HELP304 Provides social, emotional, and supportive counseling via call, text, and chat. National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673 FOR MAINE RESIDENTS: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 Maine Crisis Line: 1-888-568-1112 Nami Maine: 1-800-464-5767 (Press 1) The Intentional Peer Support Warm Line: 1-866-771-WARM (9276) or 711 (Maine Relay). The Intentional Peer Support Warm Line is available toll-free from anywhere in Maine, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is a mental health peer-to-peer phone support program offering mutual conversations with a trained specialist who has life experience with mental health and/or substance use issues and recovery. Domestic Violence Helpline: 1-866-834-HELP (4357) Sexual Assault Helpline: 1-800-871-7741 (Voice) or 711 (Maine Relay) Crisis Text Line at 741741 National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673 Please let me know if you have any current/past safety concerns. We will continue to discuss this as we get to know one another. Have a great day - I'll be back to check in and will talk to you more soon!

I am licensed in West Virginia with 7 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, relationship issues, family conflicts, & trauma and abuse. 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!

Hello, I have organized INFORMATIONAL RESOURCES on various online platforms based on a topic of interest, a common need, or related to various lessons, challenges, and experiences during a lifetime. I also manage a YouTube channel for access by clients - "journey associates" with a red sunset background. The content is not my own, but a collection from various sources related to the mind for you to find. Go to the Playlist tab, the tap "View ALL" to look around at the many folders and thousands of links. These resources can be found at - https://www.youtube.com/@findingyourwaytoday I also manage several groups or pages on Facebook related to navigating through the challenges of life, enjoyment, leisure, learning, and cool stuff. One such group to provide information related to coping, caring, and community is "Outside of the Box: Coping Creatively with Whatever" found at https://www.facebook.com/groups/2589259251341840 . Several sub-groups on topics can be found via a request for a menu of titles. Subgroups and pages on Facebook include the following topics: > support for men, > support for women, > support for teens, > the process of bereavement, > recovery from loss and trauma, > relationship dynamics, > parenting and family issues, > individual development by age-groups through the decades, > pretirement (preparation) and retirement (action and execution), > neurological aspects of causation and behavior, > creativity and perception, > community, coping, and self-care, > precious pets, > the need for maintaining a sense of humor, > photography and sharing videos as a hobby, > self-development and insight via writing and art, > appreciation of nature, and > inclusive spirituality and ethics. If you'd like to learn more, you can send a specific request regarding your interests, curiosities, and related topics to: findingyourwaytoday@gmail.com. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: I am skilled at guiding individuals and couples through a review of • thoughts and behaviors, • history and anticipation, • beliefs and misconceptions, • values and choices, and • goals and objectives toward an increased awareness of options, needs, resources, and results. The application of such knowledge about oneself can lead to choices that are more likely to be experienced as effective, productive, healthier, and rewarding. To provide space for a more structured option, I have limited other descriptive information on my profile. That information is readily shared once a client makes a decision to explore my qualifications, style, specializations, and approach before and during the first session, which, in part, is an interview by the client of myself as a professional of potential selection. PLEASE NOTE In addition to the next section of SPECIAL OFFERING - See the last portions of my profile > DIVERSITY OF EXPERIENCE, > PERSONAL POWER, and > THE PROCESS. A SPECIAL OFFERING of Structure and Focus for an eight-session intensive experience yielding optimized value for your investment of financial resources, of time, of effort, of energy, and of attention. One program is called "I AM READY" for clients who want an infusion of information, activities, skills, and tools related to their given focus and needs. One can choose to stop at the end of four sessions (Part 1), or sooner if the match of myself as a professional with a client does not feel like a good-enough fit. The goal of the eight-session infusion is to prepare you to move forward with or without a counselor after an introduction of structured information, practiced skills, and wisdom-tips as a foundation for healthier self-care and more effective coping. One aspect of this process is to learn how concepts and behaviors are tools to enhance a sense of self and to apply principles for change, maintenance, recovery, and gratification. Another aspect of the process is to identify and name the critical issues that warrant attention as a pathway to: • increase and apply awareness, • reduce personal barriers or situational roadblocks, • enhance coping and action strategies, • broaden perspectives, • deepen understanding, • emphasize strengths and assets, • develop personal confidence and efficacy, • highlight existing assets and resources, toward the outcomes of • increased gratification, gratitude, desired results, • an orientation of where you are at this time in your life, or regarding certain issues, • a process of defining your goals and objectives, and • a measurable clarity of options related to self-care, coping, direction, and resources. You are not obligated to continue after the fourth session, or even the first session, if there does not seem to be a good fit of my professional style and methods with your expectations, needs and goals. Each client’s feedback is requested during or after each session to assure that I am on course with your goals and needs. I suggest rituals that reinforce life-long learning and personal growth. Requirements: individuals and couples who can relate to the meaning and desire to improve or integrate the concepts listed below. The “I AM READY” timeframe of 8 weekly sessions (Parts 1 and 2) is designed for people who are ready to engage in the process and participate in what is needed for effective outcomes. Here are some concepts that represent the acronym of I AM READY. I – Initiative, Intelligence, Insight, Intrinsic, Interpretation, Integrity, Innovative, Investment, Intention A – Ability, Acquisition, Attitude, Accurate, Action, Affirmation, Application M – Mindfulness, Meditation, Maturation, Meaning, Motivation, Mindset, Mentality, Method, Map R – Real-istic, Renew, Redefine, Relevant, Review, Replace, Rethink, Reason, Resourceful, Retain E – Education, Emotion, Energy, Enough, Expression, Experience, Explanation, Expectation, Evaluation A – Assessment, Access, Accentuate, Assess, Articulate, Attribute D – Determined, Dedicated, Decisive, Development, Daily, Dignity, Deliberation, Diverse, Depth, Durable Y – Why? YOUnique, Yield, YES!, YOU can DO this!, Your Goals. If you are ready to start and commit vs window shop or partially use your subscription due to missed or unscheduled appointments, then count to 10 as you assess your degree of readiness and motivation. Then decide if you are ready or not for the Part 1 - four sessions of assessment, support, and education as a foundation upon which the process will lead you through the subsequent four weeks and into the next chapter of your life. DIVERSITY OF EXPERIENCE and PERSPECTIVES • I have worked with people who struggled with an active addition or who were in recovery from one of the worst chapters of their lives. • I have listened to and supported clients who worked in blue-collar jobs and clients who worked in white-collar positions. • I have provided counsel and education to people who currently or had been employed on Capitol Hill, at the Pentagon, and in The White House. • Clients have also included those who have worked at various federal agencies: FBI, NASA, US Border Patrol, and the Secret Service, law enforcement, clergy, active military personnel and veterans. • I’ve served clients who were first-responders or first-time parents. • I have guided teens who were in high school or transitioning to the experience of college-related demands. • I have been a bereavement counselor to survivors who faced the death (of various causes, anticipated and unexpected, which can result in “complicated bereavement”) - of a partner or spouse, - a parent, a sibling, a grandparent, - a child or a grandchild – both under legal age and as an adult-child. • I have supported people who have contended with invisible, chronic illness or pain, or who have had deteriorating health, and across different points in the lifespan. • I have been a privileged witness to the sacred, private lives of many people who survived adverse childhood experiences, • trauma as an adult, (military, domestic, and circumstantial: victimization, accidents, work-related or other accidents, hospital experiences, the death of a loved-one, witness a situation involving someone else safety, etc.), • and persons who have contended with gradual or sudden heartbreak and grief, • debilitating and diminishing consequential aspects of an anxiety disorder, • the suffering inherent with mood disorders (episodic or chronic in nature), • and the universal issues of being human combined with the developmental tasks required of continued growth and adjustment. • During college I worked at two summer-camps for four years (in MA and NJ) with people who had developmental disabilities, the under-privileged, and the very privileged. • And I have presented workshops at professional conferences and for agency trainings. PERSONAL POWER includes: 1. an awareness of making a series of choices, 2. resulting in executing a decision, and a direction, and 3. the application of knowing what is required for a desired outcome, with 4. the creative process of exploring or creating options. The PROCESS 1. MAKING A DECISION, 2. CHOOSING A HEALTHCARE PROVIDER, 3. TAKING ACTION ON YOUR DECISION and CHOICE 4. ENGAGING IN THE PROCESS of • UNCERTAINTY, • STRUCTURE, • EDUCATION, • SUPPORT, and • ACTIVITIES for • Desired RESULTS. If you want to interview me during a first session, I can then send you more information about how I see my style and approach (humanistic, educational, and eclectic with life-long learning). And if you decide to continue your search for a better fit with a therapist of your choosing, I genuinely endorse and support that path, by removing your connect to me if that be the case. If that would be your decision, I do ask that each client apply direct communication about intentions or needs so as to • “not fill a seat in my electronic waiting room” by clients who are undecided, • as evidenced by not making appointments, or not keeping appointments, • due to not being ready to start and follow-through, and thus, limiting access to my services of clients who are ready with a plan to begin the process. Please be aware that for each when a client who is passive, dormant, or • inconsistent in scheduling and keeping appointments, • there is a counter-productive influence on my availability to potential clients due to a place being taken on my roster of existing clients. You can choose to disconnect your affiliation with me in order to take action with another therapist and/or return when you are ready and able to engage consistently in the process and service for which you are paying a monthly subscription. Sincerely, Will Perks, MSW LICSW in West Virginia LCSW in Virginia LISW-CP in South Carolina

I am licensed in West Virginia with 6 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, relationship issues, family conflicts, & trauma and abuse. 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 seeking a more fulfilling and happier life takes courage. I am here to support you in that process.

I am a licensed clinical social worker and therapist with 35 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with a myriad of issues, but especially stress and anxiety, relationship issues, trauma and abuse, & anger management. 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!

I am licensed in Virginia and West Virginia with 28 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, relationship issues, family conflicts, & trauma and abuse. 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.

I received my M.A. in Psychology in 2000 and my Ed.S. in School Psychology in 2001 from Marshall University with additional post-graduate coursework in Counseling from Liberty University and Marshall University. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in West Virginia with 16 years of professional counseling work experience. I am also certified as a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional by Evergreen Certifications. In addition to my professional counseling experience, I was a School Psychologist for many years, and I have worked in various other mental and behavioral health capacities in inpatient and outpatient settings, social service organizations, and school systems. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, relationship issues, coping with grief and loss, depression, and trauma. I believe in treating everyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion. I will tailor your treatment to meet your unique and specific needs. In general, I utilize an eclectic strengths based therapeutic approach to counseling, while often integrating cognitive behavioral strategies along with other modalities. I completed additional coursework that included incorporating Christianity into counseling and have been a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors for many years. I am open to utilizing prayer, scripture, and other Christian ideology in the counseling process, when the client is open to doing so. I believe that an effective counseling relationship requires the counselor and client to work collaboratively. 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 and empower you in that journey.