Not to BORE you with the minutia wrapped around our full licensure…but I’ve always said: “You got to really WANT to be a therapist in the state of Texas to become a therapist in the state of Texas…” because the certification that happens BEYOND the Master’s degree is a LOT. Like several of our now fully licensed therapists at Vervewell Counseling, Aria began with us as a student intern (a grad student gaining her diploma), and is currently advancing to LPC-Associate (3000 post graduation supervised hours to gain full licensure). She was such a conscientious go-getter, she decided to interview all of us in hopes of honing her craft. I’ll give it to her…this impressed the hell out of me.
-Beth
What Each Vervewell Therapist Taught Me
As the new kid on the block at Vervewell Counseling, I have been eager to learn from the more experienced clinicians on our small but mighty team. Luckily, they have been more than willing to offer me their time; each therapist at Vervewell allowed me to interview them! I took this golden opportunity to pick all their big, beautiful brains and try to find the magic that makes each of them an amazing therapist.
Once I had met with each of them, I set to work combing back through our interviews. I wanted to piece together what information I could apply to help me excel as a therapist. It quickly became clear to me that many of them share common ideas and dispositions. However, each of our clinicians has a special spark about them that sets them apart from the others. I thought it would be fun to write it all down and share what I saw in each of them!
Beth: The Power of Connection
“My goal is to make sure everyone’s connected with something that honors their power and honors them as a whole human being.” — Beth Clardy Lewis, LPC-S
Consistently, Beth has embodied this message in everything I’ve seen her do: connecting with intention matters. In the way she leads, communicates, and creates, Beth encourages others to be fully present wherever they are, and to be purposeful about where they’re trying to go. To an action-oriented therapist like Beth, responsibility and awareness are paramount. Beth is a therapist forged for individuals who are ready to take their life by the horns and step into their power.
Intentional work supports our ability to connect, build relationships, and manifest the life we want. A refreshing sense of self-awareness and fierce self-trust sets Beth apart as a leader in the therapy room. She celebrates and honors the rebellious, the creative, and the change-makers of the world. Hearing her speak, I believed more than ever in the power of strength born out of pain and hardship. I learned that connection with both us and others is best fed by transparent authenticity and radical accountability. And connection is the powerful space in which we transform and rise.
Heather: Put Yourself Out There
“I think that’s what it takes—is just to be willing to put yourself out there and make sure people know who you are.” — Heather Chandler, LPC
Heather is genuinely excited to be in the therapy room with you and help you figure things out. She is all about empowering her clients to find their own solutions. A passionate, humorous, and courageous clinician, Heather’s greatest strengths as a therapist are her authenticity and tenacity. If you’re looking for a fearless therapist who will do anything and everything to learn more about your experiences and offer insight, Heather is your woman. Her liveliness and determination struck me with inspiration.
Authenticity as a therapist is a hard balance to strike. Maintaining a space that is healing and attuned to a client while showing up as a genuine human requires skill, patience, and commitment. Through Heather, I learned that many people are searching for realness in a therapist, and this realness offers a deeper connection and healing. For someone as warm and dedicated to helping others as Heather is, it is no wonder that her authenticity keeps her booked up with an invested client base.
Jason: You Are Enough
“Our presence in a room is enough of a catalyst for change.” — Jason Leito, LPC
Jason is a gentle presence in the therapy room; he is skillful and fully present to his clients. He doesn’t shy away from the silence or heaviness that finds its home in therapy sessions. Having gone through his own personal journey with mental health, Jason holds wisdom and inner peace that he brings into every room with him. Thoughtful, steady, and warm, Jason is an amazing fit for anyone going through a major life transition. He is especially a wonderful fit as a companion to anyone going through grief or couples who are looking for support.
Jason, to me, portrays the very definition of “do no harm, take no shit” in therapist form. While he is a grounding, kind therapist, he isn’t afraid to show you how to have stronger boundaries or confront uncomfortable feelings with you, either. His Gottman training makes him an especially strong therapist for couples looking to reconnect and strengthen their admiration for one another. If you’re looking for a therapist who makes you feel extremely at home sitting across from them, and who will guide you toward a better version of yourself, Jason is the person to see. He has shown me that gentleness and accountability can sit together in the therapy room, hand in hand.
Blake: Think Bigger, Think Deeper
“To ignore our own emotions in the session is a waste of data.” — Blake Overstreet, LPC
Blake’s sharp eye misses nothing in the therapy room. He is an attentive therapist with an erudite depth to him. Blake is a big thinker about how he connects with his clients. He looks closely at what he can do to facilitate the most therapeutic relationship possible with each person who sits across from him. Blake is in it for the long haul, believing its lasting change stems from continued commitment. He incorporates mind, body, and soul through EMDR training, psychoanalytic depth, and incorporating philosophy of wellness into sessions.
Blake is a responsible rebel of a therapist—he sees past short-term solutions such as basic coping skills and is always trying to dive deeper with a client. His deliberate, purposeful method suits individuals looking for profound exploration. He will hold up a mirror to help you look closely at yourself, your past, and the way your personality interacts with the world around you. He thoroughly investigates everything; all information can facilitate greater self-understanding. I walked away from our interview with a commitment to look at clients and myself with a keener eye.
Casye: Flip the Script
“Just give yourself grace.” — Casye LeRay, LPC
School counselor by day, therapist by evening, Casye is a ceaselessly hard worker who looks for areas in clients’ lives where she can flip the script for them. Casye looks closely at the problems her teens and adults bring into session. Then she asks you to look closer, too, to find where you can get out of your own way. And she doesn’t just talk the talk to her clients—she’s walking it in her own life. This is best shown in her Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) training; Casye experienced ART and was sold after experiencing herself the relief it can provide.
Casye is a therapist who takes a close, empathetic, and humorous look at her own human condition and struggles. She is direct, but also curious and open-minded about gaining new insights. Then she turns around to help others do the same. Casye understands the necessity of earning your trust, and that getting to the root of our problems can be scary. She has a huge well of patience, and offers herself and others the grace to try again. Not to mention her very sweet and adorable therapy assistant, GumBeaux (a licensed therapy dog, English Springer Spaniel). From Casye, I learned to always take a different perspective, and I felt re-committed to embodying the self-compassion I want my clients to practice for themselves, too.
—
When you want to learn more about what each clinician brings to the table (especially if you’re looking for your best-fit therapist), keep an eye out! The This Won’t Be Done by 5 podcast in the coming months will have episodes focusing on each of these therapists. These episodes will have them answer questions about their therapy style and showcase what they bring to the table. And you can catch yours truly on these podcasts, asking lots of questions.
