Welcome to Lighthouse Counseling. Therapy is based upon boundaries and trust. Please carefully review the following information since it is the foundation on which the counseling relationship is built.

Counselor Qualifications and Areas of Practice

I practice as a Licensed Resident in Counseling (LRIC) in the state of Virginia, under the supervision of Beth Hunter, LPC, providing individual, couples, and family counseling. I hold a Bachelor of Science in Recreational Therapy from Old Dominion University and a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Regent University. My clinical experience includes working with individuals with anxiety, depression, grief, personality disorders, relational conflict, self-esteem, trauma, life transitions, career counseling, and more. I use the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR) to diagnose mental health disorders. Should my scope of practice not be the best fit for your needs, I will refer you to another clinician. I work with adults, adolescents, and children aged five and above. After your intake assessment, we will formulate a treatment plan and specific goals together, agreeing on the course of action and mutual expectations for our time together. We will evaluate these goals throughout treatment and redesign them as needed. I will enter our professional relationship with an eagerness to help you and a commitment to your goals. If you have concerns about treatment, please bring these to me so I may best support you. If you are dissatisfied with services, my supervisor, Beth Hunter, may be contacted at beth@lighthouse-counselingllc.com.

Theoretical Orientation

I combine a Person-Centered approach with Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) for evidenced-based interventions in treatment. I also incorporate elements of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT). I am strengths-based in my methods, desiring to draw from client’s unique skills to support therapy outcomes. I am passionate about collaborating with clients so that their culture and worldview is respected in treatment. When requested, I will integrate spiritual interventions into counseling. Clients are never required to participate in any modality, either clinical or spiritual, at any time.

Code of Ethics

            As stated before, I am a Licensed Resident in Counseling in the state of Virginia. I am required to follow the ethical and professional standards of the American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics. This code of ethics outlines my responsibilities to uphold a professional and appropriate relationship with clients. Outlined in this code are the values of the counseling profession and the purpose of the therapeutic relationship between counselors and clients. Following the ACA code of ethics will allow me to function at my highest potential and to do what is in your best interest as my client. At the same time, the direction given in my therapy sessions is clearly influenced by both my Christian faith and counseling theory. If you have concerns or questions about the counseling process, please share this with me. It is important we are on the same page and your goals in counseling are prioritized.

I have the utmost respect and confidentiality for the information that is shared with me and your privacy will be upheld by legal laws and my profession’s ethical laws. However, I am legally obligated to break confidentiality in the following situations. If I believe that you intend to harm yourself or another, or if I believe that a child, incapacitated adult, or elderly person has been or will be abused, neglected, or exploited.