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My name is Valerie Myers and this is my website. I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and a a certified EMDR therapist working in Austin, Texas. You can learn more about me and what I do by clicking on the links to the left.


You might also be interested in learning more about the different types of Psychotherapy and different types of Therapists. You can also check out a list of the Common Concerns that most people have before seeking counseling.


See my Contact page for directions.


Q: What is psychotherapy?
A: Psychotherapy is an intervention used by trained therapists to assist clients in concerns of living. It usually involves exploring patterns of behavior that impact relationships in the client’s present life; what inspires those patterns and movement toward a new way of relating with oneself and others dictated by the client’s own desires.
Q: What does LCSW mean?
A: LCSW stands for Licensed Clinical Social Worker. To receive this license, one must have a Masters Degree in Clinical Social Work from an accredited university and have had 3,000 hours of training in a mental health facility under the supervision of an LCSW. Then the person must pass The Association of Social Work Boards Exam. This exam tests the person’s knowledge about the theories of human development, behavior and relationships; diagnosis of mental disorders and treatment interventions.
Q: What’s your style?
A: My style is eclectic but leans toward a humanistic approach like Client-Centered Therapy, Object Relations and Gestalt Therapy. Each client is unique and, therefore, requires an approach that is tailored to their needs. See Types of Psychotherapy for descriptions of different approaches and interventions.
Q: How long will it take?
A: The amount of time it takes varies depending on the client. Some clients feel relief for their presenting concern within a few sessions and then terminate therapy. Others find that one layer of understanding about themselves leads to another layer of exploration and wish to continue even though their original concern as been addressed.
Q: How much will it cost?
A: The first individual session is free. Both client and therapist may be motivated and competent but are not a good fit for other reasons. During the first session, both of us can get a sense of the other and whether or not we want to work together.

The second individual session can be anywhere from one hour to an hour and half. My fee is $100 for a 50 minute session and $25 for each 15-minute increment after that. Ten minutes is usually reserved for writing notes about the session.

Group therapy is once a week for an hour and a half. Clients pay by the month and the fee is $160 a month.
Q: Do you take insurance?
A: I am a Blue Cross Blue Shield and Tri-Care provider.
Q: Do you email?
A: I do have email available for scheduling appointments. Because it is impossible to ensure confidentiality through the use of the internet, I encourage my clients to only use email to make, change or cancel an appointment.  My email address is vmyers2@gmail.com
Q: How do you keep my information confidential?
A: All client records are kept behind three locks; the front door to the building, the locked office door and a locked file cabinet. I do not use a computer for progress notes. All notes are hand written.

The only time information about you is shared is if you ask me to share information with someone like an insurance company or your doctor. This takes place only after you have signed a written consent allowing me to discuss your case. There are some exceptions to this rule. If I believe you are a danger to yourself or to another person, I will do what it takes to keep you or someone else safe. This includes a scenario where another person is at risk of contracting a potentially fatal disease from you. If I am aware of physical, sexual or emotional abuse of a child or elderly person, I am bound by law to break confidentiality and report the abuse. Also, if a court subpoenas me for your records, I am bound by law to comply with their request.

To better serve my clients, I may consult with other licensed therapists, psychologists or psychiatrists. In this case, I only use first names or initials when discussing the case.
Q: How often do most people meet with you?
A: Most people attend individual and/or group therapy once a week. If a client is in crises or wishes to expedite their therapy, they can attend twice a week.
Q: What is the age range of the clients that you see?
A: I see people from age 18+.
Q: What if I have an emergency and need you right now?
A: If you have an emergency that needs attention immediately, you need to go to the hospital. I am not equipped to provide emergency service. Shoal Creek Hospital, MHMR or your nearest emergency room are equipped to handle clients who feel homicidal or suicidal.

They have staff that can provide evaluations 24-hours a day. You can also call the Hotline-to-Help at
(512) 472-4357.

I do check my messages and will return calls within 24 hours. I am also available for extra individual sessions during the week days.

I was born in Sapporo Hokkaido, Japan but was only there three months before my parents moved back to the United States. I grew up in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. In 1979, I graduated from Oklahoma City University with a Bachelors Degree in Psychology. In 1985, I completed a post-graduate program in computer software coding, logic and system design at Columbia University in New York City. After moving to Austin in 1986, I entered graduate school at The University of Texas and graduated in 1993 with a Masters Degree in Clinical Social Work. While obtaining my graduate degree, I worked at Shoal Creek Hospital on the Geriatric Unit and provided individual and group therapy services. In 1992, I did an internship at Austin Child Guidance Center for nine months. In 1993, I worked for a year at the Austin Rape Crisis Center which is now a part of Safe Place. While at the Crisis Center, I provided long-term, individual therapy to incest survivors. During the time my children were small, I did not practice clinical social work. I volunteered at Austin Hospice in 2002 and 2003. In the spring of 2004, I started working again at Austin Child Guidance Center providing individual, family and group therapy for children and families until February 2007. April 2007, I opened my private practice. To balance my work and family life, I love to take long walks in the woods and along rivers. I also write poetry and paint.


We are all connected on a spiritual and emotional level. When one of us hurts, it ripples through all of humanity like the ripples from a pebble dropped in a pond.  Conversely, when one of us laughs, the waves of laugher move out and wash over others. I think each one of us strives to find who we are as individuals but at the same time seek connectedness with others. Finding the balance between autonomy and connection reverberates within all of our relationships. Also, every person is moving in their own way toward emotional and spiritual growth. At times, we all become discouraged and need support to move forward.  Some of us take a very circuitous path to growth but each of us has a part of our soul that is always striving to move in a peaceful and harmonious direction. I believe each person is valuable and has gifts to give the world and gifts to receive.

4131 Spicewood Springs Road, Building K, Suite 7,
Austin, TX 78759
(512) 944-4722
vmyers2@gmail.com

There are many types of psychotherapy. Most of the models take place in either individual or group therapy. Many therapists use a combination of several approaches. The following are summaries of some popular theories and interventions:


Brief Solution-Focused Therapy:
This intervention works on the assumptions that change can happen very quickly, focusing on the present is more helpful than focusing on the past, small differences can make significant changes, and a perceptual construction of a desired future is the first step to change. The founders are Insoo Kim Berg and Steve de Shazer.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy:
As we experience events, we interpret those events by filtering them through our past experiences. We then form cognitions (beliefs and assumptions) about the event we experienced. Our cognitions dictate how we behave toward others. We overlook information that is not consistent with our beliefs about a situation and hang on to information that supports our core beliefs. This can distort our perception of what is going on. CBT is a way to test our core beliefs and make adjustments if needed, in our perceptions of events we experience. The main founder of this theory is Aaron Beck.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing):
This approach was developed to particularly target symptoms of severe trauma that results in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder like symptoms. This theory assumes that memories of the traumatic event have not been fully processed and integrated. Through the use of bi-lateral stimulation of the brain (therapist waves their hand from side to side while the client visually follows their hand back and forth), the client begins to process memories in a more holistic way. The founder is Francine Shapiro.
Object Relations:
This theory assumes that all of us integrate our perception of how significant others view us. I once heard a saying that encapsulates this concept. “I am not what I think I am, nor what you think I am. I am what I think you think I am.” Unfortunately, I don’t know the author of this saying. As young children, we take in the way our parent relates to us. If you ignore the words a parent is saying to a child and just concentrate on the body language, there will be a consistent pattern of interaction. If a parent smiles, hugs, and gives a lot of attention to the child, the child integrates a part (object) from the parent inside themselves that says “I am good, I am lovable.” Of course, a mad face, harsh voice and threatening body language place a different part (object) inside the child. Object Relations says we are made up of these integrated parts and respond to others accordingly. Important founders of this theory are Ronald Fairbairn, D.W. Winnicott and Melanie Klein.
Structural Family Therapy:
The way families are structured can be seen by looking at the rules, roles, boundaries, and power structure of the members. Sometimes parents are too rigid in their rules and allow no independence or creativity on the part of their children. Sometimes they are too loose with the rules and allow children to make decisions that are beyond their scope of judgment. The therapist takes an active role in adjusting lines of authority, roles of members and functions. An Important founder is Salvador Minuchin.
Attachment Theory:
This theory postulates that the interaction between parents and a child (particularly the mother) impacts the development of the relationship style of a child. There are three main relationship styles: Secure, Anxious-Ambivalent and Anxious-Avoidant. A child with secure attachment received positive attention from their mother and learned that she would comfort them when they were in distress. The child with anxious-ambivalent style received comfort sometimes but sometimes did not. This style plays out when an adult wants to be close to someone but the more intimate the relationship becomes but more anxious the adult feels and they back away. Their experience was when they have depended on their parent in the past, they were sometimes let down. A person with an Anxious-Avoidant style likes to interact in a push-pull way. They vacillate between wanting to be very emotionally intimate to becoming cold and distant. They may become angry and rejecting when a significant other wants to be close to them or moves too far away. Important founders are John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth.
Bowenian Family Theory:
This theory focuses on the balance or imbalance of togetherness and individuality. This approach looks at the ability of the person to separate their thinking from their feelings. Some people just respond according to the way they feel without logically evaluating whether what they are feeling makes sense for not. This theorist feels that dyads (two people) are inherently unstable and will often pull in a third person when they are in conflict. When using this approach, a therapist will look at the horizontal stressors (stressful elements in the present) and the vertical dysfunctional patterns passed on from generation to generation. The founder is Murray Bowen.
Group Therapy Yalom Style:
This model assumes that we all create in a group setting patterns we originally learned in our childhood families (the original group). For people who learned ways of relating that are not working for them, group therapy provides an arena to explore those patterns and make small changes that can have a big impact on their personal relationships. The group provides hope, a sense of not being alone with a concern, helpful information, a sense of caring from others, a re-experiencing of original group patterns, social skills, mirroring behavior, distortion adjustment, belonging, and one’s place in the universe. Groups go through five main stages; forming (getting together), storming (who's the leader, who are the followers), norming (settling down) performing (working on problems) and adjourning (time to go). One of the founders of group theory is Irvin Yalom.
 
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW):
To receive this license, one must have a Masters Degree in Clinical Social Work from an accredited university and have had 3,000 hours of training in a mental health facility under the supervision of an LCSW.  Then the person must pass The Association of Social Work Boards Exam.  This exam tests the person’s knowledge about the theories of human development, behavior and relationships; diagnosis of mental disorders and treatment interventions.
 
Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC):
The LPC has a Masters Degree from an accredited university in counseling, a passing score on the National Counselor Exam and 3,000 hours of mental health experience under the supervision of a board-approved supervisor.  As with all of these degrees, the LPC is familiar with theory, diagnosis and treatment.
 
Psychologist (PhD.)
This is a person who has a Doctorate Degree from an accredited university and about five years of training  in the field of clinical psychology. They are experienced in areas of psychological testing for mental health issues (you know, those ink blots) but also provide therapeutic services. Also, they are familiar with theories of human behavior, diagnosis and treatment.
 
Psychiatrist (M.D.)
The M.D. stands for Medical Doctor.  These folks have gone to four years of college, four years of medical school and about three years of a residency focused on mental health.  They are the ones that can prescribe the medications for mental health issues. Some psychiatrists provide therapeutic services but they are the exception rather than the rule.

There are some people that seek therapeutic services just because they are curious about themselves and want to learn more. But most commonly, the client is in emotional pain and wants relief.

We are biologically wired to seek connection with others. When there has been a disruption in one or all of our relationships, it causes emotional pain. This disruption can happen early in our childhoods and reverberate throughout all other relationships or this disruption can happen suddenly, in the present with the loss of a loved one. It can be the loss of a job or illness. Life can be going along fine until the natural and normal developmental phase of a child comes into conflict with a developmental phase of a parent.

  Following is a list of some of the variables that impact people:

  • a genetic predisposition to certain personality traits.
  • their sibling order
  • how similar they are to one of their grandparents prompting a parent to react in a certain way to them
  • any high stress situation they experienced anytime in their life including happy stress like winning the lottery, a change in careers or a person’s developmental stage.

The ebb and flow of all these internal and external elements are compounded by the people in our lives who bring their own set of traits to the table.  This makes for a fascinating and wonderful world of people.

But sometimes our usual ways of coping with life’s stresses stop working and we become discouraged. Some signs of distress include insomnia or sleeping too much; over or under eating; feeling sad, empty or irritable or having no energy; a decrease in concentration and memory. Some people feel that life is not worth living.

Others may feel excess worry that seems to attach itself to many concerns. This worry can be as strong as feeling intense apprehension for some unknown impending doom or just a steady, underlying sense of fear.

Therapy addresses the concerns clients bring to session and the underlying feelings that fuel their concerns. With a combination of exploration of precipitating events, client strengths, future goals of the client, feeling expression and modulation, clients can began to sort out the chaos into neat, little, manageable piles that can be kept or discarded depending on the client’s wishes. All clients have strengths. Therapy is a way to enhance those strengths for the benefit of the client.