Cindy Barletta

I have been practicing social work since I graduated from Penn State with a Bachelor's Degree in Social Work over 40 years ago. While working at a local not-for profit agency, I was afforded the opportunity to complete graduate study at Syracuse University and receive a Master's Degree in Social Work. The irony is, upon entering college at Penn State, I had absolutely no clue what "social work" was, or that it would happily become my life's work.

Through the years working with many different populations and in many different settings, I learned and have been reminded over and over again, the value and importance of being genuine, honest, respectful, and nonjudgemental in my work with others. I have learned that no one can truly understand exactly what someone else is thinking, feeling, or going through; or why someone makes the choices or behaves the way they do. No matter how similar two individual's situations may be, each have their own beliefs, characteristics, experiences, backgrounds, and life history that differentiates them from each other. Because of this, I have learned the importance of treating each person I work with as the unique individual they are. I have found that by being genuine and respectful, those I work with have been able to enter into treatment with me and develop the trust to share and address whatever challenge they may be facing.

There are many different treatment modalities within the field of social work and therapy. Despite the differences in technique or theories, all share the purpose of assisting individuals to identify what personal issues or situations they would like to address or change in their lives and to develop a plan to work toward their goals. It has been my experience that the most beneficial treatment approach is one that the individual and the therapist agree on and develop together. It is my policy to discuss treatment modality, frequency of appointments, and expectations regarding the length of time in treatment during the initial, the intake, appointment.

Although treatment sessions are generally scheduled for approximately fifty-five minutes, the intake session is usually scheduled for ninety minutes due to the amount of information covered. The session includes my sharing my background and experience, as well as learning about the individual and their reason for seeking treatment. Treatment policies and expectations are reviewed. Most importantly, the intake session allows the individual to get to know and ask me any questions they may have as it is my belief that a positive relationship with the therapist is needed for treatment to be beneficial. If the individual chooses to continue in treatment, the intent and plan of the next session will be discussed and the next session scheduled.