LEE FREED, LPC

Hello! My name is Lee Freed and my pronouns are they/them/theirs. I am a licensed professional counselor having graduated with my Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Vermont and some post-graduate work in Idaho. I specialize in working with youth, typically ages 5-25.

 

One specialty area I am passionate about is working with families who have experienced grief and/or loss. In 2019 I was able to train at our National Institute for Grieving Children, the Dougy Center in Portland, Oregon, learning about how to best meet the needs of youth and families who have experienced grief. This opportunity helped me to work on expanding the Children's Grief and Loss Program in Central Vermont by increasing our offered supports: individual sessions with children/teens, family sessions, groups for children and teens, and caregiver sessions to help parents/guardians support their own children while grieving themselves. I care deeply about building safe relationships with families experiencing grief, knowing that grief can be vulnerable and overwhelming. I use a three pillared model to support folks experiencing grief: psychoeducation, expression, and connection. I use art therapy, play therapy, and sand tray techniques to support youth expressing their experience of grief.

 

My second specialty area in working with youth is supporting teens in exploring or understanding LGBTQAI+ identities. As a queer person myself, I am uniquely positioned to understand the myriad of challenges that come up when learning about your own identities. We receive messages directly and indirectly about who we "should" be, which then has devastating causes on mental health. "LGBTQ[AI+] youth are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide than their peers" (Johns et al., 2019; Johns et al., 2020). I take this very seriously; sometimes knowing that you aren't alone is enough. When working with teens who identify in the queer community I tend to rely on broaching, a technique coined by Day-Vines and colleagues (2007). "Broaching behavior refers to a consistent and ongoing attitude of openness with a genuine commitment by the counselor to continually invite the client to explore issues of diversity" (Day-Vines et al., 2007, p.402).

In addition to my specialty areas I have experience and competence with working with the following concerns:

ADHD (Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder)

Adjustment Disorders

Anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder)

Bipolar (1 and 2) Disorder

Cyclothymic Disorder

Depression (Major Depressive Disorder and Persistent Depressive Disorder)

Non-suicidal self injury

OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder)

PTSD (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder)

Substance Use Disorders

Suicidal ideation

Trichotillomania (Hair-Pulling Disorder)

 

Thank you for taking the time to consider trusting me. If you have any specific questions about my work or experience, please email me at LeeFreed@SRIcanHELP.com.