Diana Mudde LMSW, ACSW
I am a licensed clinical social worker in the State of Michigan. I am also a member of the Academy of Certified Social Workers and the National Association of Social Workers. I have earned a Master's Degree in Social Work from Western Michigan University and a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from Calvin College. I am also a certified elementary and middle school teacher, having earned my certification from Trenton State College in New Jersey. Additional training includes specialized work in the areas of trauma, grief, family counseling, emotional regulation/emotional wellness, depression and anxiety disorders, family of origin issues, and LGBT issues. I have done advanced work in the treatment of childhood and adult trauma and am an EMDRIA (EMDR International Association) trained EMDR therapist. I have also completed advanced work in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), and use this research-based and compassionate modality in my work with couples and individuals. I have taught graduate classes in the School of Social Work at Grand Valley State University as an adjunct faculty member and am a trained clinical social work supervisor for the State of Michigan.
I have years of experience in counseling with various populations and I work from a strengths-based perspective, focusing on the intrinsic drive toward wholeness, health, and connectedness present in each client and each situation, rather than focusing on disorders or labeling problems and people. I help people develop awareness of their thoughts, feelings, and actions, and strengthen their ability to mindfully act in ways that are in line with their beliefs and healthier ways of being in the world. Waking up to one's life can feel exhilarating, somewhat scary, and deeply meaningful. It does take some work and practice. It helps to have support and insight for the journey.
My previous practice settings have included college counseling centers, hospice care settings, and community counseling settings. I specialize in working with individuals, couples and families who are struggling with loss, transition, anxiety and unresolved conflicts.
My areas of special interest include:
*Life Adjustments/Transitions
*Grief and Loss
*Depression/Mood Disorders
*Anxiety
*Healthy Emotional Regulation
*LGBT issues and relationships
*Healthy Relationships
*Adult Survivors of Childhood Emotional, Physical or Sexual Abuse
*Parenting
*Trauma and Acute Stress Reactions
*Caregiving/Chronic Illness/ Disabilities/Care Decisions
"When I have been listened to and when I have been heard, I am able to re-perceive my world in a new way and to go on. It is astonishing how elements that seem insoluble become soluble when someone listens, how confusions that seem irremediable turn into relatively clear flowing streams when one is heard." Carl Rogers
