Hi, I'm Claire D'Andrea, LISW-CP, licensed independent social worker. I earned my BSW at Azusa Pacific University in CA and my MSW at the University of Connecticut. I specialize in trauma, anxiety, and addiction. I am trained in the alphabet soup of CBT, DBT, and EMDR.
My goal as a therapist is to be someone you can trust who is truly in your corner and wants you to succeed in your goals. Clients are often in a lot of distress when they reach out to begin therapy and it is my goal to jump in and let you leave your first session feeling confident that you've taken the first step to major change in your life. I find that these days, people are either too harsh or too polite in their interactions; my hope is that therapy is a refreshing, supportive, and challenging resource in your life.
My style of therapy is eclectic, relational, humorous, direct, and casual.
I am an ENFJ and an Enneagram 8. I enjoy working with a variety of clients and issues but my passion is treating trauma. Maybe you've experienced a profound "Capital T" Trauma - Combat, physical or sexual assault, natural disaster, a severe accident or injury. It's also possible that you've experienced "small-t" trauma - problems in your family growing up that have led to problems in relationships today, professional issues that have bred insecurity or inability to perform well at work, or legal or financial troubles that have added up and may leave you feeling helpless and discouraged. I am trained in EMDR, a trauma treatment that helps desensitize and reprocess all of these types of traumas and more. I have seen astounding freedom and growth in clients who have suffered for years or decades and I don't know what I would do without this incredible therapy in my toolbox.
A large part of my professional experience has been working with addiction. If you find that your relationship with drugs, alcohol, food, shopping, or gambling has become uncomfortable, it can help to speak to a professional to either redefine and moderate your use, or learn ways to abstain completely if these things have become to harmful to keep in your life.
As the mother of 2 very young children, I love to work with new mothers and navigate the challenges of motherhood together, all while sipping some very strong coffee!
I enjoy incorporating faith and spirituality to whatever extent my clients feel comfortable. I am a Christian but have the utmost respect for anyone who incorporates another faith into their lives. I am happy help you navigate any spiritual questions or curiosities. I also enjoy helping people who have experienced religious trauma and have lost their faith due to wounding from the church or those in their community.
