Hello!
I’m Cherie, Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Board Certified Coach and owner of Grow & Go Life Coaching and Counseling Services. My mission is simple: to help people GROW healthy thoughts, feelings and behaviors that promote happy, healthy and productive lives!
I am an experienced and well-rounded counselor and coach. While I possess extensive counselor training and education (see attached resume), I believe it is my personal journey of overcoming childhood trauma (and related toxic thoughts, feelings and behaviors) that has prepared me for the work I do and love! Today, we are learning the devastating impact that ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences) can have on our neuro-biology, and how important it is to put preventative measures and interventions in place. God has designed our brains and bodies for resiliency. When we learn how to train our toxic attitudes into healthy mindsets, we can see the physical changes in the brain that promote mental health. As the extraordinary Neuroscientist, Dr. Caroline Leaf, says, “Our thoughts are real things. What we pay attention to grows. We choose life or death by either focusing on healthy thoughts or toxic thoughts.”
On a spiritual note, I believe that my career as a mental health counselor is the purpose that God has set before me. I see my job as my mission and feel that every person I come into contact with has been placed on my path for a reason. I accept each client, unconditionally, right where they are. I empathize with their struggles and because I see us as equal, I am genuine and authentic in my interactions. Each client has inherent value, and I believe God has a purpose for their lives. I believe in the power of prayer, and if they identify themselves as believers in Christ, I will pray with them. If they do not believe in Christ, then I will pray for them when I am not with them.
In addition to holding a Master’s Degree in Counseling and Human Services, here are my education-related credentials:
Mental Health Related Trainings:
Mental Health First Aid, Trauma-Informed Care, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (Level One), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, How to Work Effectively with Suicidal Clients, Managing Clients at Risk for Suicide or Violence. Using Vision Boards to promote Strengths, Early Developmental Disorders Resulting from Abuse, Social Difficulties of Learning, Attentional & Autism Spectrum Disorders, Practical Strategies for ADHD, Conscious Discipline, Zones of Regulation, Creating Safe Places for LGBTQ Youth, Functional Behavior Assessments, Nonviolent Crisis Intervention, Cyber-Bullying & Internet Safety, Unlearned Helplessness, Motivational Interviewing, Understanding DSM-5 and ICD, Role of the Counselor in Psychotropic Medications, Emotional Stocks and Bonds, Eating Disorders & Anxiety, Solution-Focused Counseling, Brain Rules & Neuroplasticity, CBT & DBT Training, Infant Mental Health Training, Working Effectively with Stressed & Burned Out Parents, 40 Developmental Assets, Conference on Adolescents, Conflict Mediation & Peer Mediation Programs, Smart but Scattered Teens
School Counselor Related Trainings:
Packaging Your School Counselor Program, Marketing & Growing Your Program with Social Media, School Counselor Advocacy, RAMP, School Counseling & Technology, Whole School Climate, Solution-Focused Consultation, College Admissions Process, NCAA Eligibility, Ensuring College Readiness, School & Community Collaboration, Transitional Programming, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support, RTI, ESOL Trainings, College Week Live, Homeless & Unaccompanied Youth, Bullyproofing Your School, Literacy Centers, National Training for Differentiated Instruction, Turning Bullying into Buddies, Teaching Students with Disabilities
Trained in the following Assessment Tools:
CFARS/FARS Certified – mental status exams to assess cognitive, social and role functioning
The Child Behavior Checklist, Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children, Parental Stress Scale
NICHQ Vanderbilt Assessment Scale for diagnosing ADHD
Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (K-BIT)
Interest Areas & Personal Counseling Approaches to Mental Health:
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy & Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Approaches
Neuroplasticity through 63-Day Brain Detox (as proposed by Dr. Caroline Leaf)
Spiritual Counseling & Direction
Mind-Body Healing & Energy Healing through Prayer-Based Emotional Freedom Tapping
Strength-Based and Solution-Focused Counseling
Click Here to see my resume: Cherie’s Resume