Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
Tabitha Woodson
Licensed Professional Counselor, LPC, MA
I can say that one of my greatest accomplishments was my 16 years of service to the United States of America. After being discharged from the United States Navy due to a service related condition, I thought long and hard about the next chapter in my life. I have always had the ability to engage in meaningful conversations with others. I enjoyed helping people figure things out.
The hope that I held for others influenced my decision to pursue an MA in Professional Counseling at Liberty University. I have over 10 years of working in community mental health. I have enjoyed working with a diverse population of people to include children and adolescents with emotional and behavioral challenges, along with adults that have serious mental illness and substance abuse problems. I provide individual and group therapy for children, adolescents, and adults.​​
​ I do believe that some of the suffering experienced in life oftentimes results from faulty thinking which eventually leads to unwanted emotions and behaviors. ​​
​As a Licensed Professional Counselor, I provide a safe, warm and welcoming atmosphere that allows for self exploration, discovery and healing
of the mind and heart. I truly believe that the power to heal the heart, mind and soul lies within you.
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As a trauma informed therapist, I use a variety of treatment approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Motivational Interviewing, EMDR and Brief Therapy.
I believe the decision to engage in counseling is courageous, empowering and life changing.
​As we work together, my hope for you is that you will regain control over your emotions, you will be able to examine and manage your anxious thoughts and begin to act in a way that promotes peace and harmony within yourself and with others. Some additional work may involve forgiveness of self and others, restorative practices and self acceptance.
​You will learn to live a fulfilling life. You will learn to be alive in life instead of merely going through the motions.
I am trained in evidenced based interventions such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Dialectial Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and use these in my work when appropriate. My main focus is in DBT, an approach that can increase mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness. I am also certified in EMDR, a proven trauma treatment that can help build a sense of safety, identify and change beliefs that are harmful, and to become less stuck in past pain.
Amy Kennel
Licensed Professional Counselor, LPC, MS
I joined Lifeworks Professional Counseling in May 2019 to help and support people going through a variety of problems. Since 2005, I have worked in community mental health settings where I did individual and group counseling, and conducted intake assessments. I received a BA in Art Therapy from Arcadia University in Glenside, PA. I received my MS in Mental Health Counseling from Longwood University in Farmville, VA, with honors from the Counseling and Education departments. I was also a member of the Chi Sigma Iota Honor Society for Counselor Educators.
The foundation to transformation and healing in therapy relies on mutual trust and respect.​ My past work experience with people in crisis honed my skills in holding space for difficult experiences and painful emotions. I provide encouragement, empathy, understanding, attention and acceptance, and give honest and caring feedback.
Through our work together, you can expect to establish goals and work
meaningfully towards achieving them. Our work may also include challenging
unhelpful thoughts, building and increasing a sense of safety, finding meaning
and purpose, improving your communication and connection with others,
recognizing unhealthy patterns, fostering hope and nourishing change, practicing
new skills, and adopting new habits. ​​You may also notice an improvement in
understanding yourself and expressing your feelings, managing emotions, problem solving, and an increased sense of resilience.