Hi! My name is Caroline Velasquez. You might be wondering if we will be able to relate to each other or if I will understand what you are going through. To help you make that decision, I want to let you know a little bit about me and my background.
One of the questions I get asked most frequently is why I chose to specialize in treating trauma and anxiety?
I have been there. I get the struggle because I have lived it which helps me to truly understand what it takes to move through those issues. You are unique and have lived a different life journey than me so what it takes for you to move through your struggles will be different than my path to healing. I will work hard to help you discover the path that moves you along your journey. I believe that you can heal and move forward in your life.
About my training and experience:
I love to learn and I am always seeking new opportunities to develop my skills. While in school, I completed specialties in treating children with trauma and treating anxiety. Following my school studies, I participated in several trainings to develop more skills in treating adults who have experienced trauma and a wide variety of other issues.
I have been providing services to children and adults who deal with concerns such as trauma, anxiety, depression, gender identity issues, and schizophrenia. I spent 5 years doing this work in a community mental health setting. I have been providing counseling services in private practice since 2017. I have found that I am passionate about working with persons who are dealing with anxiety and trauma and frequently seek out additional training in treating these issues.
Completed Trainings & Certifications:
Treating Trauma:
EMDRIA Certified to provide EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
WMU's TF-CBT (Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Training) program & internship
EMDR - Child Specialist - Level 1 Intensive Program - training provided by Ana Gomez
EMDR - Child Specialist - Level 2 Intensive Program - training provided by Ana Gomez
"The Body Keeps the Score" two day training - Bessel van der Kolk
Several 1 and 2 day trainings on how trauma affects a person and effective treatment methods
EMDR Recent Traumatic Event Protocol (R-TEP) and Group Traumatic Event Protocol (G-TEP)
EMDR Conference - Parnell institute (trainings by Laurel Parnell, Joan Lovett, Julie Probus-Schad and other attachment-focused EMDR consultants)
EMDRIA Conference 2018
EMDRIA Conference 2019
EMDR Flash Technique Training - Provided by Philip Mansfield
EMDR: Creative Protocols - training provided by Esly Carvalho, PhD
EMDR & Sandtray Intensive Training - training provided by Ana Gomez
EMDR DeTUR protocol training provided by A.J. Popky
Treating addiction with EMDR - 2 day training by Julie Miller
Other Trainings:
WMU's SPADA (Specialty Program in Alcohol and Drug Abuse) certificate program
Completed CAADC (Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor) certificate with MCBAP
Basic and advanced Motivational Interviewing
Several 1 and 2 day trainings on treating addiction
Trainings in treating persons with anxiety
Best Techniques for treating Anxiety provided by Margaret Wehrenberg
Play Therapy training
Trainings on working with persons with suicidal ideation
DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy) training
NASW Core Supervision Certificate training to enable me to supervise LLMSWs who are pursuing licensure
NASW certificate training to treat persons dealing with gender identity issues
Educational Background:
University of Tennessee, Knoxville Campus
Doctor of Social Work - in progress
Planned graduation date: May 2024
Western Michigan University:
Master of Social Work
TF-CBT Program & Internship
SPADA Certificate & Internship
Grand Valley State University:
Bachelor of Science in Psychology
Bachelor of Arts in Spanish
Additional Information:
If you have any questions, please call the office at (231) 580-8482 or email me at caroline@bigrapidscounseling.com.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Have a great day!