Get to Know Yourself Better
Greetings and welcome! I'm very glad you've stopped by, and I would love to be of help to you. My methods in session are relational, person-centered, trauma-informed, and based in narrative. I offer an open ear, an open heart, and an open mind. I don't judge and I don't see any human experience as pathological. My intention is to provide you a safe and welcoming place to unburden yourself and explore the issues that you've been dealing with. Deciding to seek help is a very brave and enlightened thing to do. I've often found myself in awe of my clients since I've been doing this work. I provide support, companionship, a sometimes humorous point of view, and a mirror through which you may be able to see, appreciate, and understand yourself more deeply and completely. Together, we work toward whatever becomes desirable to you.
I've been in practice for three years now, and have enjoyed working with children and adults. My oldest client was in her eighties, and my youngest client was five years old. College students are the group with whom I've done the most work. I've helped a lot of people who are in late adolescence. It's a very fruitful time of life, when we're first stepping away from our family of origin and going out into the world, claiming our autonomy for real. Lots of stress, lots of joy and excitement, and lots of growth. A great time for therapy.
Before I became a therapist, I had a great deal of experience with babies and small children. During my first years of grad school, my favorite jobs were in preschools, daycare centers, and private child care. During that time I worked with and for a lot of parents, and now, as a therapist, I have a special care for the parent/child dyad. To families with children (single parent families included) I offer filial play therapy, which enhances the attachment bond between parent (or caregiver) and child. It's helpful to children and adults in a wide variety of circumstances, for example: military service, recovery from addiction, chronic illnesses, grief and loss, and a broad range of traumatic experiences. It can also help to ward off troubles that come up unexpectedly during adolescence.
Some information on my education and training:
M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Seminary of the Southwest's CACREP accredited program.
B.A. in Humanities from the University of Texas at Austin; Interdisciplinary degree written in preparation for graduate study in Counseling Psychology.
72 graduate hours, also UT Austin, studying human development, communication theory, history and systems in psychology, learning and cognition, mental health and social policy, educational assessment, Adlerian
lifestyle assessment, and attachment theory.
Internship year at Samaritan Center of Austin, providing counseling services under the supervision of Teresa Shigemasa, RPT-S, LPC and clinical director Shawna Moss, LCSW.
[Just a quick word about all the religious sounding words in my resume, like "seminary" and "samaritan": I want to make it clear that my practice isn't based in any spiritual scripture, Judeo-Christian or otherwise; it simply honors the importance of spirituality and religion to SOME of the people I'm serving, and only when they themselves bring it into therapy. Like all therapists, I'm aware of the clinical significance of cultural differences, and in the course of my studies I've been at least introduced to a variety of religions and spiritual practices. I’m well prepared to be of service to people of all spiritual persuasions, no spiritual persuasions, strongly anti-religious persuasions, and I-don’t-care-about-any-of-that-stuff persuasions.]
When, where, how, and how much? I'm working entirely online right now, via a telehealth platform called Simple Practice. I work Mondays to Thursdays, noon to 9pm. My standard fee is $140 for a full hour session, but I also offer sliding scale fees to people who need them. My clients have access to me between sessions via text, telephone, and a HIPPA compliant messaging portal. I accept private pay only, but also can provide you with a Super Bill to submit to your insurance company for reimbursement.
I am currently practicing under the supervision of Dr. Dena Roberts, director of Austin Integrative Counseling: https://inaustincounseling.com. If you think you'd like to explore working with me, feel free to give me a call: 512-680-0733. Or if you'd rather have an online, no-cost, face-to-face, HIPPA protected consultation, just scroll down to the "request appointment" button. I look forward to meeting you!
Stephanie Prewitt
LPC-A