It’s autumn, the leaves are changing – and so are we!
The end of summer can be a challenging time. The days are shortening, the weather is getting colder and wetter, kids are back into the grind of schoolwork, and year-end deadlines are rearing their inevitable heads. Between the stresses of everyday life and the mounting dreariness of winter, it’s hardly surprising when things seem bleaker and our moods begin to worsen.
According to the American Psychological Association, one in twenty US adults experience seasonal depression – “more than just ‘winter blues’” – with rates increasing the farther one gets from the equator.[1] Here in the PNW, it’s not hard to see why, as the clouds move in and the rains return.
Fortunately, you don’t have to tackle it alone. Counseling West Seattle is delighted to announce two new additions to our roster, as well as the return of one of our former counselors to practice!
As one of our new counselors, Emily Rohrdanz is an Independent Clinical Social Worker Associate who brings nearly a decade of experience in schools, working as both a social worker and a counselor. She specializes in helping adolescents and young adults work through a range of challenges including stress, depression, anxiety, and major life transitions.
The second new counselor to join us, Matthew Kirshman, is an Independent Clinical Social Worker Associate who transitioned from his teaching career into social work. He is an integrative therapist who examines the relationships between who a client is and the challenges they face, working to explore and develop each individual’s strengths, goals, and life-affirming strategies.
Finally, we’re excited to welcome Kalie Shekoni back to CWS, having recently attained her full licensure as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor on top of ten years as a board-certified school counselor. Kalie works to identify patterns and systems of thinking that conflict with personal growth, in order to help clients develop their own strategies for dealing with their unique problems, as well as find their own meaning within their unique lives.
From all of us here at Counseling West Seattle, we wish you a pleasant autumn, and a very spooky Halloween!
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