Someone gets it.
Meet Erin.
Whether you’re bereaved and heartbroken or recently divorced and hurting, this is your safe, dedicated space to making sense of it all.
Working Together
Calm, peaceful, helpful. These are words clients use to describe me and the environment I create in therapy. I welcome the deep pain and the questions you ask yourself over and over.
I’m also interested in movement, so there’s a healthy balance there. I’ll help you feel and withstand the tsunami of grief and then surface to decide which small step you need to take to move you closer to shore.
My philosophy on grief may be different from others’, and certainly from the culture at large. There is no “fixing” death or divorce. We can’t change what happened.
So…our work is to carry grief well, to learn to cope, integrate grief into our lives, and to create purpose and joy going forward. Please notice I didn’t say “moving on.” If this rings true for you, you’re in the right place.
Christian Counseling
I’m a Christian and am happy to incorporate faith in our sessions. I’m equally as comfortable with leaving it out. It’s up to you.
I’ve worked for years in secular settings, and for years in Christian settings. Being flexible is so important to me that I chose to get my education from a school that gave excellent training in clinical, research, science-based, applicable therapy skills, as well as how to incorporate faith and a strong basis in Biblical knowledge. You always get to tell me what you’re comfortable bringing into our sessions and I’ll respect it fully.
If you’re a Christian, you should know it’s one of my passions to dig deeper than platitudes like “they’re in a better place” and get to the root of how we feel about God, what it means to suffer, and how our faith can (and often does) take on new form in grief.
Education and Experience
I find profound meaning in my line of work and have been in practice for over a decade. I attend trainings regularly, read extensively, and keep up with the latest research because I want to provide excellent care. I’m also committed to growing personally and won’t ask you to go anywhere I haven’t been willing to go myself.
Education
Clemson University, BA, Psychology
Reformed Theological Seminary, MA, Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling
Licensure
South Carolina: MFT 7030 - look up license
Trainings
-Certified Compassionate Bereavement Care Provider
-Level 1 provider through The Center for Prolonged Grief
-Healing Grief and Loss, with David Kessler
-Suicide Assessment and Intervention
-Counseling and Treatment Tools for the Changing Face of Grief and Loss
-Counseling Grief Clients: Functional Interventions
Values that guide my work
Education
“Here’s what’s typical during grief. Here’s what to expect.” I want you to leave my office breathing a sigh of relief knowing you’re not crazy for how you feel.
Embracing Emotions
Grief can bring up surprising feelings, with an intensity you may not have felt before. I want you to learn that your emotions won’t destroy you. Riding the waves of emotion and tending to how you feel can bring relief.
Courage
In the midst of pain, your job is to put one foot in front of the other. Let’s define courage for you and celebrate wins
Faith with Honesty
Going through something terrible can really shake your faith. You might feel angry at God or confused by the turn your life has taken. I’m eager for you to examine your questions fully in our time together.
Hope
…for growth and healing. This one’s on my end. Behind the scenes of everything you’re going through is the reality that you will make it. You may not want to hear that today. I understand that. But I always hold hope and the truth of your inevitable growth and healing as a guide for our time.
Trust
Building trust in yourself and the process. Your wise self intuitively knows what will help you and what you need. That part can get lost during grief, but you need it now more than ever. It’s my goal to help you uncover, tune in, and trust yourself.