Let’s Introduce Ourselves: Who is Behind Life in Bloom Counseling? What Does Life in Bloom Counseling Do?
So glad you asked! Or even if you didn’t, I’m so glad you’re here wanting to know more about Life in Bloom Counseling.
Life in Bloom Counselings Roots
Our founder, Fabiola Paiva, started Life in Bloom Counseling out of recognizing that counseling services are hard to find in New Hampshire. In addition, she recognized that people were needing counseling more than ever, coming from cultures and generations of individuals told to “just get over it”, and to “be seen, not heard”. After recognizing her own need for counseling, Fabiola decided it was best to share the counseling experience with many others in need. Not only did Fabiola want to create an agency for more individuals to access counseling, she wanted individuals to get an individualized experience in counseling. With this in mind, Fabiola sought to build a team of individuals who are trained in many modalities of counseling, which allows them to see clients from all walks of life, and tailor their treatment to their specific needs.
The Team at Life in Bloom Counseling
You can always find our team on our website here. But I think a breakdown of the team, their skills, modalities, and strengths can help you to see how one of our counselors can best support you.
Amanda McRight - Amanda is a counselor who specializes with individuals who have Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or C-PTSD. This type of disorder is characterized by the symptoms you likely know of PTSD (like flashbacks, and nightmares), but also comes with another level of emotional dysregulation. Through her years of experience with clients, education, and supervision, Amanda has developed many strategies to help individuals overcome C-PTSD. Amanda provides counseling techniques such as eye-movement desensitization reprocessing or EMDR therapy, which involves physically moving your eyes to help process traumatic events. Not only that, Amanda also provides talk therapy including treatments like acceptance and commitment therapy or ACT therapy. This involves working towards acceptance of the past, and learning how to use skills to regulate yourself. Amanda is a kind, caring, compassionate individual who takes her work seriously. Amanda’s dedication to helping others is an aspect of Life in Bloom Counseling’s mission to create better counseling experiences for everyone who attends treatment.
Irene Eastland - Well, I’m here writing this blog post so I won’t take up too much space for my own introduction and I will talk in third person. Irene has been in the mental health field for nearly 10 years, which has brought her a great deal of experience with individuals struggling with severe and persistent mental illness, to individuals working on bettering their communication. Irene is trained in providing cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT, and also includes skills from dialectical behavioral therapy or DBT, mindfulness, and other modalities to help give a individuals the treatment that suits them best. Irene has worked with individuals from many backgrounds, cultures, and walks of life. Irene is passionate about caring for other people, seeing them overcome struggles, and being part of their healing journey. Irene also includes Christian components in her work when requested, making the approach she uses a holistic one. At Life in Bloom Counseling, we love to offer holistic approaches for individuals seeking faith-based counseling experiences.
Kelly Baldwin - Kelly is not only a counselor, but also helps to run Life in Bloom Counseling. Kelly has over two decades of counseling experience. She has provided care for a variety of individuals, and has a plethora of experience helping individuals struggling with substance use. Kelly uses methods like DBT, CBT, and other modalities to help individuals get the treatment they need the most. Kelly is compassionate, hardworking, and empowering in all she does. She provides consistent care and compassion to individuals struggling with their mental health, and she is always willing to go the extra mile for the other counselors at Life in Bloom Counseling. Kelly’s hard work, dedication, and love for her career is a big piece of what keeps Life in Bloom Counseling going.
Kristina Lundquist - Like our other team members, Kristina provides an individualized approach by including treatment methods like CBT, DBT, ACT, and Solution Focused Therapy or SFT. Kristina recently joined our team, and is working towards licensure in the state of New Hampshire. Kristina has shown already that she is knowledgeable about her work, compassionate in her care for clients, and is always willing to think outside of the box to help individuals overcome whatever they’re struggling with. Kristina’s fresh perspective gives all the counselors at Life in Bloom Counseling to learn something they may not have already known. Continuing education through classes and coworkers is a priority at Life in Bloom Counseling so we are able to provide the best care possible.
Makayla Gibbons - Similar to Kristina, Makayla is a new member at our Life in Bloom Counseling team. We really do love adding fresh perspectives, and new individuals who are ready and willing to serve the clients of Life in Bloom Counseling - which makes Makayla a perfect fit for our team. Makayla uses a multifaceted approach including CBT techniques, and she is also able to provide well-rounded care through a trauma-informed lens. Makayla is also passionate about helping individuals such as children, individuals in the LGBTQIA+ community, young adults, and women. Her mission is to help individuals feel heard and empowered, allowing them to overcome whatever they might be facing. Adding Makayla to the Life in Bloom Counseling team helps build our mission of providing well-rounded care.
Neisha Gonzalez - Neisha is a well-versed counselor, who has a background in school counseling as well. Neisha has experience working with EMDR therapy, CBT, and she also provides a person-centered approach to therapy. Not only that, Neisha is passionate about providing a spiritual aspect to counseling, leading her to provide faith-based counseling when requested for therapy. Neisha is passionate about working with others, and helping them overcome challenges and obstacles they’re facing. Neisha is dedicated to learning more, growing each and every day as a counselor, and getting stronger in her faith to help others in theirs as well. Neisha is also bilingual, providing care in English and Spanish. Neisha’s flexibility in providing holistic care with a multitude of treatment options for her clients makes her the perfect fit for Life in Bloom Counseling.
Sara Connor - Sara, last but we assure you, not least. Sara provides counseling for individuals struggling with addiction, relationship issues, and more - all from a trauma-informed care approach. Sara is willing to learn and grow, and provides the best care possible through continuing her education on a regular basis. She provides EMDR therapy, and CBT approaches to help individuals overcome past traumatic experiences, and work through what struggles they are currently facing. Sara is dedicated to her work and providing the best care possible, which makes her a great fit for Life in Bloom Counseling. She adds depth and perspective to every team meeting, and is always ready to help other counselors grow in their abilities.
So, How do I choose Who to See?
We hope you enjoyed reading about our team, and the services provided through each individual counselor. However, we don’t expect you to choose us. We want you to find whoever suits you best, and we won’t tell you who to choose. Of course, we would love it if you chose one of our team members to help you along your journey to healing and better mental health. But the reality is? We know that finding the right care provider is essential to the best outcomes for therapy. If any of our counselors stick out to you, feel free to reach us at our “meet the team” page, or by clicking any individuals name in this blog to check out their Psychology Today profile for more information.
Here are a few steps to choosing the right counselor for you:
Decide What You Need From Treatment - This could look like writing down your goals for therapy, or what you want to be different in your life. Finding someone who you believe will align with these goals is key. Once you’ve gotten down a few things you’d like to work on, go ahead and email them to a prospective counselor, and ask if these are things the counselor would be able to work on with you or if they know someone who could. Oftentimes, finding counselors can be easier when you are already in touch with a counselor - even if you’re not going to see that counselor.
Research Local Counselors - Now that you’ve stopped here at Life in Bloom Counseling, be willing to research other agencies, and counselors on Psychology Today and a simple Google search for “counselors near me”. Read their biographies, see what stands out to you, and what they say that most aligns with you. If you found that Amanda is the counselor you want to see, feel free to reach out - but if none of our counselors really “hit the spot”, don’t worry, we aren’t offended by you seeking the care that’s right for you.
Talk to a Counselor - Many counselors provide 15 minute consultation calls, allowing you to get to know them before being billed for services. These 15 minute calls can help you ask questions, get clarity on what the counselor offers, and maybe even help you see more of what you are really looking for in a counselor. Some questions you could ask a potential counselor are, “how would you handle this (insert whatever issue here)?”, “how do you handle crisis situations if they arise?”, “what kind of training do you have that would be helpful to someone like me?”, and “how would you work with me on this goal (state your goal here)?”. These questions can provide some insight into whether the counselor is a good fit for you or not.
Conclusion
We are so glad you stopped in and read a bit about our roots, our team, and what we have to offer. It is our hope that you will find the counselor you need, the care you deserve, and you’ll accomplish all the goals you set for yourself in counseling and beyond. We hope you choose our team, but if not - we hope you find the person who is best suited for you. Feel free to check out each individuals Psychology Today page, or head over to our “meet the team” section to learn more. You can also check out our previous blog posts on our “blog” page, and learn more about the owner on our “meet the owner” page. Remember, you can meet any of our counselors for 15 minute introductions to see if they are a good fit for you. You don’t have to go it alone, we can also help you connect with another counselor outside of our agency that is right for you.
And remember, your life is always in bloom - you get to decide what flower you become.