Sheila Wright

Contact Information: Hello! Please feel free to contact me directly at [email protected] or through my confidential voicemail at 908.391.0726 to schedule a free 15-minute consultation. I may have availability that my Headway booking calendar does not reflect. I would be happy to speak with you about working together. As a licensed professional counselor trained in both clinical mental health and couples/family systems therapy, I offer counseling and therapy to adults ages 18 and older. Additionally, I hold a certificate in Positive Psychology, and my research in this area has been published by the American Psychological Association in their APA Handbooks in Psychology Series. My longstanding interest in positive psychology and psychiatric nutrition, as well as my training as an E-RYT 500 Yoga teacher and educator, also informs my holistic (whole-person) approach to helping clients navigate life transitions, anxiety, stress, depression, relationship issues, bereavement, and other personal challenges in order to achieve sustainable wellbeing. To learn more about my professional background, please visit my website: www.ciw.care.

My work with clients is based on an integrative, person-centered counseling approach which is informed by evidence-based treatment modalities that include CBT and Narrative Therapy. My professional orientation is holistic (whole-person), since the core tenets of good mental health operate in unison to support sustainable positive change and wellbeing.

The first session (also known as an “intake”) is an opportunity for us to come to know one another. During this first session, I am actively listening to my client’s story to understand not only what brings them to therapy, but to also identify the personal strengths that can help clients reach their therapeutic goals. My aim from the start is to build rapport such that clients feel heard, valued, and empowered to make positive changes in their lives.

I strive to make all counseling sessions time well spent, so that clients know that they have gained both personal insight and useful "tools" which they can utilize to craft richer lives. Research strongly suggests that the greatest change factor in the therapeutic process comes from the rapport that clients establish with their therapist. This factor is widely considered to be more critical than the type of therapeutic modality employed or a counselor's therapeutic orientation. For this reason, and for the enjoyment that I also experience in coming to know my clients, I am always actively working to build a strong therapeutic relationship.