St. Louis Therapy Practice Adds Four New Therapists and Opens Mental Health Clinic Dr. Lena Pearlman & Associates (www.STLmentalhealth.com) expanded by adding four new licensed therapists to the practice and opens a clinic at 655 Craig Road in Creve Coeur: Debra Johnson, LCSW Debra Johnson is a licensed clinical social worker with a part-time practice in the St. Louis area. She has been a social worker for 35 years and comes with a unique and versatile background. Debra uses a client-centered approach to focus on the needs of the person. She is able to help with a gamut of concerns including: Depression, Anxiety, Anger Management, Parenting issues, and Work related conflicts, to name a few. She specializes in crisis intervention and utilizes an eclectic range of modalities for treatment. She is able to work with individuals, couples, families, adolescents and children. Her approach involves partnering with clients to help them more effectively meet their needs and ascertain intentional goals. Daniel Leeman, LCSW Daniel Leeman attended Valparaiso University studying Psychology and Criminology and later went on to attain a Masters in Social Work. Daniel is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and has experience working with at-risk children, adults, parents, and families in an inpatient and outpatient setting. An effective therapist, Daniel can help with anxiety, depression, family issues, post-traumatic stress, and schizophrenia. Like Lena, Daniel has worked with adults in a forensic setting, Fulton State Hospital, and has a special knowledge of the Criminal Justice System. Daniel wishes to understand his client’s story and with them, come to a deep understanding of experiences, emotions, relationships, spirituality, and the sometimes irrational mind; the goal being to reach peace, harmony, and to attain the fullest potential each of these things has to offer. Jason Stahnke, LCSW Jason Stahnke is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who has helped adults in a variety of settings over the last fifteen years. Jason received his Bachelors in Social Work (BSW) in 2002 in Denver, Colorado where he worked with two-parent families focusing on improving their family stability while attaining financial self-sufficiency. Jason then worked with families and their loved ones who experienced a developmental disability through Positive Behavior Support and Applied Behavioral Analysis techniques. Earning his Masters in Social Work (MSW) in 2009 from the University of Missouri, St. Louis, Jason has spent the last 9 years training those in the Human Services field about a variety of topics based on a broad spectrum of theories all focused on improving patient care and treatment. Additionally, Jason has spent several semesters as an adjunct faculty member lecturing at the Community College level. Jason is a proven motivator, a helper who is open-minded and non-judgmental. Creating a safe place where everyone can feel comfortable to share, at their pace while better tailoring each individual’s therapeutic experience and how together we can achieve that is what he prides himself in most. Tracey White, LCSW Tracey White is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She received her Masters of Social Work (MSW) from Washington University in St. Louis. Tracey has over 14 years in the field of social services. She enjoys helping the underserved.
St. Louis Therapy Practice Targets Childhood Trauma There is a student who has and is enduring some major life challenges. She has seen things that we hope nobody ever has to see. She has been abused in many ways and completely neglected. I know her and her situation very well. She is passed back and forth to different caregivers. Best case scenario is that she believes her mom is very busy. A more likely scenario is that she knows that her mom does not care about her at all and does everything possible to have nothing to do with her. Adding to this situation is the fact that the other caregivers don’t care very much for her either. They feed her and put a roof over her head (most nights), but they too want very little to do with her. Her home existence is one of little contact with others, no love or support. The little contact she gets is negative reinforcement – which includes a great deal of yelling, frustration, and punishments. She struggles with academics. She struggles with behaviors. She is very hard to manage in a school. She is dying for even the smallest amount of attention, love and kindness. Somehow this student gets out of bed, takes an hour bus ride to school, and walks into a school every day! This student is one of the major reasons why our practice is so committed to helping children who have endured traumatic experiences. We train teachers, counselors, educators, and relatives. We also provide specific counseling and therapy sessions for children who have been traumatized. Please learn more about our practice and services at: www.STLmentalhealth.com.
St. Louis therapy practice launches new website. Dr. Lena Pearlman & Associates new website is designed to provide information and resources to individuals, couples, families and the St Louis community seeking more information about depression, anxiety, stress management, adhd, ocd, relationships, and other mental health related issues. The practice is located at 655 Craig Road, Suite 300 in Creve Coeur. The new site is: www.STLmentalhealth.com.
It was an honor to co-present to school counselors and administrators in St. Louis recently about trauma in children. The focus was helping school staff members to know what to do with children that have experienced abuse, loss or other stressors. Some of the strategies and suggestions that we recommended were: -Look for ways to provide accommodations -Team approach and outside resources –Routines are critical –Don’t paint children into a corner – provide choices –Provide an increased level of support and encouragement -Set clear, firm limits –Provide a safe place to go -Work to find replacement behaviors for undesired choices -Warn children in advance of any changes or other items that may cause them to be stressed We have been asked to present again on this topic at several other local schools. We are also looking forward to presenting on teacher stress, teen anxiety, working with challenging parents, and helping everyone to achieve to their highest potential. Our team is made up of five therapists (who handle the counseling and therapy angle) and an educator. — Dr. Lena Pearlman & Associates is a mental health therapy practice in St. Louis, Missouri. We provide therapy and counseling services to individuals, couples and families. We specialize in depression, anxiety, stress management and relationships. More information is available at www.stlmentalhealth.com or 314-942-1147.
We will be a part of the Parkway School District “Risky Behaviors” conference tonight. This event is an educational opportunity for parents to learn about challenges and problems that teens encounter – drugs, self-harm and cyber-safety. The event is at Parkway Central Middle School in Chesterfield, MO tonight from 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. More information is available at: http://www.parkwayschools.net/files/_NFL4I_/f076e553f30a6af23745a49013852ec4/Risky_Behaviors_Flyer.pdf If you have any questions either in advance of this advance or in general about teens, addiction, mental health service or other related issues, please contact us at: bryan@stlmentalhealth.com or visit our website at: www.stlmentalhealth.com.
Interesting article about things you can do to improve your mental health. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/how-to-improve-mental-health_us_56684e10e4b0f290e52154ba
Dr. Lena Pearlman expanded her therapy practice by opening a new clinic, adding four therapists and a part-time psychiatrist. The practice specializes in relationships, anxiety, depression, stress, trauma, ADHD, OCD, addiction, and other mental health related concerns. The therapists see individuals, couples, and families in the Creve Coeur practice. Evening and weekend appointments are available. More information is available at www.STLmentalhealth.com.
The new office is open and serving patients. Please call to schedule an appointment with one of our talented therapists at 314-942-1147 at Dr. Lena Pearlman & Associates. Our office is located in Creve Coeur at 655 Craig Road, Suite 300, St. Louis, MO 63141. You can reach us by e-mail at bryan@stlmentalhealth.com. We look forward to hearing from you!
