CJ Cummins
Licensed Professional Counselor - Associate - LPC-A, MS, EMDR
In a world of constant change, it is easy to feel overwhelmed with negative emotions. But when was the last time you took a moment to slow down, reflect, and really process everything going on in your life? I feel that when we take the time to slow down, we can discover more about what’s affecting us right now and what may have affected us in past events. However, if we keep pushing forward without considering slowing down or reflecting, that’s when burnout, stress, and even trauma can build up.
When working with you, I work on understanding the whole concern, not just parts of it. I take an active approach by asking questions to better understand how that concern is affecting you and your life. I truly believe you’re the professional of your life and what’s going on within it, and you’re allowing me to be part of it and assist where I can. After coming to an understanding of the concern, I use specific techniques, including CBT, mindfulness, or EMDR, as appropriate for the situation. As we use those techniques to address the concerns, I also use positive psychology and a strength-based approach to reinforce the work we’re doing. We must take the time to reinforce the changes that are occurring within therapy so we can continue to make healthy steps toward your goals. I strongly believe in the importance of mental health for everyday life. Anyone can face struggles or concerns related to their mental health, and I believe everyone deserves a space for them to address those struggles.
Having self-care activities can be an added benefit outside the therapy setting. I’m an active runner within my community, and I have taken part in multiple marathons. I’ve used running as my self-care activity to benefit my mental health. There are so many different self-care activities, and I always enjoy learning more about them from you. I come from a first responder family, with my father being an EMS, firefighter, and fire chief as I was growing up. I believe this is where my desire to help others came from. I saw and heard from my father and his friends about the constant stressful and traumatic experiences they had gone through. That knowledge sparked a new desire for me to be involved and assist the first responder community.