When life gets tough, Mr. Rogers famously recommended that we “look for the helpers.”
Helping others is one of the things that brings us together as communities, as a species. My parents would tell you that I have always been "a helper", with stories of me looking out for the "underdog" since I was a toddler. Professionally, I have been a helper, as a therapist, since obtaining my graduate degree from the University of New Hampshire in 2005. As many New Mexicans can attest, this state will always call you home, and I returned to practice in Las Cruces in 2008.
In support of Las Cruces and our surrounding communities, A New Hope Therapy Center offers family therapy, relational therapy, and individual therapy. We have clinicians who specialize in a variety of treatment modalities including EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) and play therapy. The clinicians in my group with stay up to date with the tools needed to serve a community with such wildly diverse needs as Las Cruces, including incorporating telepsychiatry and telehealth sessions.
After practicing as a therapist in a variety of settings and being given amazing opportunities to work with phenomenal therapists, I focused my continuing education and training on becoming a supervisor and a support for other therapists. My passion for helping other clinicians obtaining licensure, building their own practices and succeeding in their own goals has fueled services such as our supervision and consultation groups! I understand fully that the work therapists and social workers do is hard and emotionally draining - I believe fully that having a supportive network and collaborative team helps prevent burn out and fosters a sense of community.
I also love working with new clinicians and therapists! It is really exciting to me to support a person's growth and development into a clinician who is ready to help our community! We often take on a small number of interns each year, offering them the experience they require in a smaller, private practice setting. With our interns, we are able to offer pro bono (free) sessions on an as needed basis and when the clinic is able to support it which is a really exciting way for us to give back to our community.
And now, I’m expanding my services by offering this blog. Each month I will address a new topic in the world of mental health, offering what I hope to be concise, easy to understand definitions and information as well as, most importantly, how to seek appropriate help. We are very excited to be a part of our community and hope to be a resource of help when needed.
These entries are not intended to diagnose or treat any illness, but should be used as a step to help you find a therapist or doctor if needed.
Maria Laquerre is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, who specializes in addressing trauma with clients of all ages. Maria has practiced therapy in New Mexico since her return in 2008. Maria's current passion is supporting therapists in doing their best clinical work, which she pursues through offering supervision, consultation and trainings. Maria enjoys spending time with her family, watching Star Wars and Marvel movies, discussing the psychology of pop culture and loves a good book!