Rebecca Wolf, LCSW, PCGWhy/what made you become a therapist?
It seems that people in my life have always sought out advice and counsel from me because I am very rational and level-headed. Early on, I realized how much I enjoyed giving feedback and helping people resolve their struggles. Becoming a therapist just seemed like the natural career path for me.
What are your specialties/areas of interest?
I have extensive training working with problem gambling and other addictions. My true passion is helping clients resolve communication and relationship issues since these are areas which I believe people can see positive results rather quickly. I also really enjoy working with military populations because I think this is a group that inherently has many stressors and challenges, yet tends to be underserved.
What self-care activities do you do/find helpful?
I try my best to leave work at work and then come home and spend time with my family and my dog. I love to take long walks with my family to unwind and be active. I also love to cook and bake because I think it is so rewarding to create something from scratch. Another thing I love is to escape reality and get immersed in reading a great mystery novel. An important part of my self-care regimen includes always having something on my calendar to look forward to – whether this means taking a trip, trying a new restaurant, or a night out with friends. I think it is very important to have things to look forward to in order to keep you trending forward and not feeling stuck.
Why do you feel it’s important to seek counseling?
We can all benefit from some unbiased feedback once in a while. The demands and stresses of daily life can wear on us and sometimes we just need some support. It can also be very beneficial to get an outsider’s perspective on occasion.
Who can benefit from therapy?/How can it help?
Just about anyone open to making positive changes in their life can benefit from therapy. To me, that is the key – being open to making positive changes. When you are open to changing for the better, great things can happen. I also think that there comes a time when our family and friends deserve a break from listening to us worry about our stressors, and that is a great time to turn to counseling. This allows us to get unbiased support and feedback while not burdening our support system. Not everybody needs counseling all the time, but I certainly think that most of us could benefit from therapy intermittently throughout our lives to help normalize our stressors and allow us to feel supported when life gets a bit bumpy.
Contact UB’s Intake Coordinator to schedule an appointment with Rebecca Wolf.