Dolores Griffin
I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 27 years of experience, a Summa Cum Laude graduate of Southern Connecticut State University with degrees as a Bachelor and Masters of Social Work. I returned to the college campus 30 years after my freshman year, having raised and seen my daughters launched into their adulthood.
My experience is primarily with adults who are navigating significant grief and loss - of a person, change in life situation, a health crisis, domestic violence, or overwhelmed trying to set appropriate boundaries and manage the stress of their life as it is today.
I am the widow of a Catholic Deacon, having spent about 20 years in pastoral ministry and religious education prior to returning to college. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in the State of Connecticut.
First session
During our first session, you can probably expect to answers some basic questions about yourself, your hopes and expectations, and have the opportunity to ask questions about me and how we might work together. This is an opportunity for us to learn about each other and how we might work together. I want to make sure that we are collaborating together to determine goals that support you from the first session. My goal is always to listen first, to help your feel safe and understand that therapy is about you achieving the life you want to the best of your potential to achieve those goals.
Strengths
My experience is primarily with adults who are navigating significant grief and loss - of a person, change in life situation, a health crisis, domestic violence, or overwhelmed trying to set appropriate boundaries and manage the stress of their life as it is today. I have direct practice experience and supervised staff across multiple sites as a Director of Clinical Services
Ideal clients
Most of my experience is with adults over the age of 30, who are experiencing significant life changes as they age. My approach is to be respectful of each client’s background, values, experiences and hopes. Everyone’s time is precious and I work to respect the preciousness of that time. I am available during both traditional and non-traditional hours - after work hours and the children are in bed, late evenings when you just can’t get to sleep because of your grief and loss, or just feeling overwhelmed, after your second shift job when the rest of the world is sleeping and just you got home from work.
Treatment methods
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
In our sessions the focus is on the examining the thoughts and beliefs that are motivating the behavior instead of the behavior itself. Through the use of talk therapy, we will work together to learn to utilizes skills such as mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation and interpersonal effectiveness among others.
Strength-Based
Each of us is a unique individual with strengths and weaknesses. I look forward to helping adults find the strengths that have helped make them the person they are today. That search includes looking for the strengths that brought each person to the wonder and beauty of their personhood. Even in our weaknesses, there is a special person working to figure out how to be the best of themself.
Faith-based therapy
I was a religious educator or over 20 years prior to attending college to get both my Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Social Work degrees and as the widow of a Catholic Deacon, I recognize that faith or belief in something greater than ourself, by whatever name we choose to give or faith we choose to follow, can be a comfort and support in our journey to become the best of who we are able to be.
Location
Virtual sessions
In-person sessions100 Pearl St, Hartford, CT 06103, Fl 14
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Licensed in
- ConnecticutLicense 58.004737