I have served in the mental health field for over seven years. As a veteran, I have experience working with a vast range of individuals from different cultures and backgrounds. With my extensive knowledge in dealing with trauma, my education, and my career journey, I can relate to individuals personally and professionally.
Besides being a therapist, I am a daughter, sister, niece, cousin, friend, and dog mom. I aspire to provide support, guidance, and compassion to individuals so that they can overcome life challenges and traumatic events as I have.
Mental Health in the African American community is evolving from the historical belief that we should take all of our problems to the church rather than a therapist. I want to share the importance of utilizing the available resources so that you become the best version of YOU.
I use various therapeutic approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Psychotherapy, and Solution Focused Therapy in order to meet the needs of my clients. I am a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional trained in Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).
Jonathan E. Collins, M.Ed., LPC
My name is Jonathan Collins and I am a Licensed Professional Counselor with 14 years of counseling experience including training and education. I serve adolescents and adults in my work. I specialize in treating mood and anxiety disorders, ADHD, issues related to grief and bereavement, domestic violence, sexual assault, trauma, self-injury, men’s issues, process addictions (including internet, phone, gaming, pornography, gambling), adjusting to new life situations, work related issues, stress, couples, and relationship counseling, vocational counseling, and more.
My goal as a therapist is to help my clients achieve their goals and to live life with purpose and satisfaction. I provide individualized, effective psychotherapeutic treatments that are specialized to meet each client’s needs. I have an eclectic approach to counseling that relies heavily on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Mindfulness based Cognitive Therapy. When looking at a client’s health I take a broad range of factors into account, including a client’s physical health, genetic factors, their current environment, cultural identities, past experiences, and more. After learning about a client, my focus is on what the client’s needs are and what the client is looking to achieve. I try to help all my clients achieve realistic, measurable, and specific goals. I believe that healthy relationships play a factor in a client’s well-being. I also believe that a balanced life is best to maintain happiness. I believe in the healing power of the mind-body connection and aim to help clients understand the impact that thoughts, feelings, and behaviors have on physical health and vice versa.
Selenos Azzam, M.Ed., LPC – Associate Supervised by Elissa Bauer M.Ed., LPC-S
My passion for counseling stems from my cultural background, I’ve witnessed and experienced first hand how difficult it can be to seek mental health help within a minority community. As a first generation Palestinian-American, I realized that counseling and taking care of your mental health was such a foreign topic. It was after my realization that I wanted to dedicate myself to making mental health care more accessible to those in minority communities, because everyone deserves quality mental health care. It is extremely important for me to increase mental health awareness within not only the Middle Eastern community but also all the communities surrounding me.
My clinical approach includes continuous rapport building and a client centered approach, I believe that I can help guide individuals towards the life they want based on their personal views and opinions. I want to encourage my clients to adapt to any challenges and offer them effective skills to adjust to any issues that pertain to their lives. I specialize in treating those with mood and anxiety disorders, eating disorders, PTSD, ADHD, adjustment disorder (new job, new relationship, new school, relocation, etc.), and issues related to sexual assault, domestic violence, and self-injury.
A little about me: I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Texas State University and a Master’s of Education in Mental Health Counseling from the University of Houston. Aside from my educational background, I love traveling and exploring different countries while learning about their cultures. I am very outdoorsy and won’t miss an opportunity to spend the day hiking or swimming with my dog. My favorite pastime is spending quality time with my friends and family.
