Paul Wierzbicki, LLMSW
Your life matters.
Therapy can save lives. Not only in a suicide-prevention sense, but therapy can also help save the QUALITY of our lives. It can help us overcome trauma, reach deeper insight, and help us work through tough times. You DESERVE to love and cherish your life, your identity, and your relationship with the world around you.
I like to find what’s “RIGHT” with people. My approach examines how our thoughts and feelings affect our behavior (and vice versa). I seek to inspire hope and help people reach a new level of understanding about themselves. Using a patient’s own unique strengths and talents, we can find a place to intervene and help you accomplish your goals.
People find wellness by understanding and embracing what makes them happy and healthy. However YOU define this, I’m here to help you get there. Change is not easy and will involve time and effort; HOWEVER, CHANGE IS WORTH IT. Being the person you want to be is such a gratifying feeling. There may be homework outside of sessions to help strengthen concepts talked about in therapy. There is no failing! If you find that you aren’t making the progress you want to (it happens!), we will collaborate in the process of healing and work together to get you where you want to be!
EDUCATION
- Master of Social Work (MSW), Wayne State University
- Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Wayne State University
CERTIFICATIONS
- Career Service Provider (CSP), National Career Development Association
- Certified Financial Social Worker (CSFW), Center for Financial Social Work
WORKS WITH
- Teens
- Adults
- Older Adults
TYPES OF THERAPY
- Person Centered Therapy
- Narrative Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Motivational Interviewing
- Solutions Focused
- Stress Management (Stress Inoculation)
With me, you can expect a safe space where YOU are in control. You can expect an open, warm and honest relationship with me. You can count on a non-judgmental environment to explore thoughts and feelings. I am committed to holding unconditional positive regard for everyone I work with (always assuming positive intent). You can expect to have your feelings and experiences honored as you are the expert on your own feelings and experiences!
I work with people of all backgrounds and identities on a wide variety of clinical concerns. I enjoy helping people overcome anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship conflicts, low self-esteem, ADHD concerns, career challenges, and more.
In addition, as a member of LGBTQIA+ community, I have a lifetime of first-hand experience and knowledge about the experiences of this unique population. My experiences combined with my professional training in gender and sexuality have given me the skills to specialize in areas such as exploring or questioning gender and sexuality, coming out, navigating family acceptance, overcoming societal oppression, feeling different or misunderstood, minority stress, exploring consensual non-monogamy, and other intersections that individuals in the LGBTQIA+ community may be facing. I am proud to be a professional resource for this population along with other groups of oppressed people who may benefit from having a mental health advocate in their corner.
No matter your identity, you can always expect to be heard, to be seen, and to be your authentic self… period!
FAVORITE SELF-CARE
My favorite type of self-care is accomplishing my goals. I like to ensure that I am in my tip-top shape so I can be there for you. To do this, I love to sing, I love to act, and I love to socialize. As an extrovert, you can ask any one of my 100 closest friends to verify this. I also enjoy humor and finding reasons to laugh and experience gratitude and mindfulness. I enjoy finding out the things that are “right” with people. Helping others is also a really great method of self-care for me.
FUN FACTS
- I’m the first one in my family to earn a college degree, including a master’s degree!
- My first major in college was vocal music performance and education.
- I really, really enjoy singing and acting, reading and writing, and other fine and performing arts!
- I have a twin brother.
- I married my high school sweetheart, we have been together for 15 years (as of 2022)
- I LOVE peanut butter, it’s so good!
- I am a dog person, I will never say no to having your furry friends visit in session.
- Plushies and stuff animals are my favorite self-soothing mechanism.
- My dad jokes are the best…
LIFE MOTTO
“You are Gay, Gay is not you.” – Julia Cuneo. It is important to realize that there is no one way to be a part of your identity. Each one of us has qualities that make us special and how we may measure up to society’s conception of whatever our identity is, IS NOT, indicative of your worth. There are an infinite number of colors in the rainbow, and we each contribute to making the rainbow as beautiful as it is.
