James Homerding

Hello and thanks for stopping to read about me. The most important thing I want a prospective client to know about me is that I have experienced enough of the highs and lows of life as a clinician and in my personal life, that I am convinced nobody gets through this stuff alone. Also there is nothing new under the sun so I can assure you this is a judgment free zone.

I am from Houston, TX, and moved to Knoxville, TN in my high school years. There I attended University of Tennessee and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and therefore I view all individuals within a greater human cultural framework. I mean that everyone is a unique individual belonging to a larger group of people with shared beliefs and values according to their culture which is rooted in an almost endless list of classifications, such as geographical, political, ethnic, generational, etc. After graduation in 2003 I moved to Pittsburgh, PA and briefly worked in Carnegie Museums before earning a Master of Social Work degree at University of Pittsburgh in 2011.

I have spent the majority of my career working with homeless veterans at VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System which formed me into the clinician I am today. I am forever grateful for this experience in serving those who served our country. Now I thoroughly enjoy taking the time to work with individuals out of my home office. I am able to really walk side by side with someone and experience all the highs and lows of life in a way that has never been possible before. Now, enough about me, let's talk about you...

My therapeutic intervention is grounded in principles of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Motivational Interviewing. My orientation as a clinician is casual wherein my primary concern is to form an alliance with my client so we share the load they have been carrying. I find many of life's quandaries are best addressed when we are willing to consider an outside perspective. I also believe that everyone is the expert on themselves, so I look to my client to teach me about their values and vision for what they want to realize in their life and relationships.

My hope is that we first establish a good rapport stemming from open nonjudgmental communication. From there I want to build trust which is essential if we are to make progress that you will be able to notice. If we have rapport and trust then the sky is the limit in terms of obtaining the quality of life that once seemed elusive.