Unsettling events like the coronavirus, the prospect of climate change, economic uncertainty, racism, and the ugliness of American politics can make the earth underneath our feet feel like shaky ground.

Perhaps things feel unsteady for more personal reasons, for example you might not feel comfortable being yourself. Maybe you have reason to fear being shot down, verbally abused, ridiculed, or shunned because others don’t want you to be the person you want to be. Maybe you feel unhappy and trapped in a job or a life situation. Stuck living someone else’s dream instead of your own. It could be that you have a hard time separating the real you from what others want you to be.

Maybe you are undergoing a major life transition such a new job, a change in marital status, move to another city, or a loss of a loved one. Maybe this change is overwhelming. Sometimes even good changes are hard to adjust to.

Whatever the reason, I provide an accepting safe space to help you work through what you’re dealing with. I will actively work with you to explore feelings about your challenges as well as ways to address them.

Addressing trauma

Trauma–either ongoing, recent, or in the distant past–often feeds these feelings of being overwhelmed or helpless. Such trauma might haunt daily life, making it feel difficult to live in the present. Or it could affect people in more subtle ways.

One way I treat that trauma is through Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). This treatment helps people connect the part of the brain focused on survival with the rational part of the brain capable of solving problems.

Other obstacles besides trauma

Trauma isn’t the only thing that holds us back. And I don’t believe in one-size-fits-all types of therapy. When receiving services from other therapists, I have often seen them put me in categories that really work for them than me. As a therapist, I firmly believe in learning from you and working with you to develop a plan for addressing what you deal with.

Specialties

In addition to trauma, my specialties include:

• Life transitions
• Group dynamics
• Work and career issues
• Self-esteem
• Relationships
• Depression
• Severe and persistent mental illness

Life throws us many challenges. It’s unreasonable to expect ourselves to handle every single obstacle with skill, ease and grace. I provide an empathetic ear and help people figure out their own way through the wilderness.

My name is Haven McClure, MSW, CAPSW. I believe everyone, regardless of their situation, has been doing the best they can. Let’s discuss what’s working well for you, what can work better, and how you and I can best work together to work through your challenges.

My credentials

I have a Master’s in Social Work earned from the University of Wisconsin, and my area of concentration was mental health. I am also certified as an Advanced Practice Social Worker in the State of Wisconsin. This permits me to offer psychotherapy services under supervision from a Licensed Clinical Social Worker–in this case James F. McGloin, Jr., PhD, LCSW who has been in practice since 1971.