My name is Greer Culbertson and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. I graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology from Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, and from the University of Texas at Austin with a masters of science in social work.
My eclectic approach to therapy begins with us developing a safe, trusting, and nonjudgmental therapeutic relationship. I have a holistic, client-centered, intuitive and direct approach. I incorporate mindfulness-based practices which are informed by my 12 years of being a yoga practitioner and five years as a yoga teacher, as well as my experiences during a 10-day silent course in Vipassana, an ancient meditation technique which means "to see things are they really are." This powerful period of self-exploration shapes my clinical orientation and influences the tools I offer individuals to help them find acceptance, peace, and balance within themselves and their relationships with others.
I also utilize cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) in my practice. When we get lost in our feelings and related, harmful storylines, we lose touch with what we are actually experiencing. By noticing thoughts and feelings where they are in the body and learning to sit with them, we are able to begin cultivating acceptance of ourselves and our capacity for distress tolerance. This allows us to work toward healthy, patient processing of our emotions. Painful feelings can and should often be used as information, but they do not have to feed a negative storyline and they do not have to control us. We have the power to rewrite our storylines.
I work with children, adolescents, and adults to help folks feel comfortable and confident in their own skin and to promote growth in areas including self-confidence, distress tolerance, effective communication of needs, and self-awareness. Other issues I explore with clients include bullying, gender identity concerns, boundary-setting, and healthy coping skills for intense emotions including sadness and anger. I help identify patterns in your relationships that are no longer working, and collaborate with you in developing new, more effective ways of relating to yourself and others. I also believe in working with the family system when necessary because so many of our behaviors, thoughts and feelings are shaped by our environments and relationships.
Personally, I enjoy a curious and deep exploration of life through running, yoga, dreamwork, creative pursuits including writing and performing music, and meaningful relationships with others. My own struggles with depression and anxiety have been crucial in my development as a person and a therapist, and they significantly inform the ways in which I help those struggling with similar challenges.
I believe that we each possess a Wise Mind from which we draw wisdom, creativity, and our own unique truth. I am excited to work with you to find access to your Wise Mind and empower you to lead a life you find meaningful.