My Personal Style and Philosophy

My personal style is genuine, down-to-earth, and caring. Most people feel quickly at ease with me. I believe that positive change happens best in an environment of compassion, trust and acceptance. I am an optimist when it comes to the capacity of human beings to heal: I believe that healing is possible for everyone.

I have great faith that you carry within you the wisdom you need to guide your own life, and that the best kind of help assists you eliciting this wisdom. I have the utmost respect and regard for you, your strengths and skills, and the challenges you are facing. We will work together to find solutions that are right for you.

My Professional Qualifications

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor, licensed by the State of Connecticut (Conn. License #408). My professional training includes a Masters in Counseling Psychology from Lesley College in Boston, Mass. in 1993.

I also have extensive post-graduate training in body-centered psychotherapy. Body centered psychotherapy helps you access the resources your mind, our body, your intuition and your spirit, which together constitute a deep resource of internal wisdom and strength. Research supports the power of body-centered psychotherapy to help people change and heal. The body-centered psychotherapy I use combines elements of gestalt, bioenergetics, psychodynamics, mindfulness and contemplative psychotherapy, imagery and communications theory.

I am also a certified Somatic Experiencing Practitioner. Somatic Exeperiencing is a very powerful, effective but gentle way of healing by using body awareness to regain emotional resilience. (To read more about Somatic Experiencing, click here.)

In addition, I am certified as a Reiki I practitioner. Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that promotes healing.

My Psychotherapy Practice

For the past fifteen years I have been a counselor for individuals, couples and groups in my psychotherapy practice. I help people deal with mood disorders such as anxiety and depression, problems in their relationships, work and life stress, emotional, physical and sexual abuse, PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder), trauma, addictions, women’s issues, and mental health and wellness.

For ten years prior to my career as a psychotherapist, I was a practicing lawyer. I practiced law in a corporation as well as in private practice. I have found that my prior experience as a lawyer makes me uniquely able to understand and empathize with my clients who work in the legal and corporate worlds. I have a keen appreciation of what it is like to try to address your own needs while balancing work, family and community obligations. To read more about my counseling lawyers, click here.

I also have a specialty in working with adult adoptees, and do this work individually and in groups. I have presented extensively on the issues faced by adult adoptees including loss, rejection, anger and identity. To read about counseling for adoptees, click here.

Lastly, I have a special love for animals and have experienced how powerful a healing force they can be in people’s lives. When possible and appropriate, I encourage people to involve their animals (real or symbolic) in their healing process.

 

Karen Caffrey,  LPC,  JD Psychotherapy and Counseling in West  Hartford, CT 06107