Lolade Bokini, LGPC

My clinical focus includes helping clients understand how the mind, brain and body influence relationships, work/education, ability to perform daily activities, overall outlook, mood, behaviors and responses to our environment. I work with clients to understand how past or ongoing experiences and relationships create psychological and physiological imprints that may lead to substance use, severe mental illness, mood swings, impulsive behaviors and more. I engage in a collaborative relationships and insightful dialogue with clients to work towards the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of anxiety disorders, major depressive disorder, substance use disorders, neurodivergent disorders, trauma and related disorders, OCD, bipolar disorder and stress in general. As an immigrant, woman and person of color who works with clients who identify as BIPOC, AAPI, Latinx and from various ethnic, religious/nonreligious, nationality backgrounds, I understand that some thoughts, behaviors and mood patterns are needed to survive different systems.  From that lens, before challenging clients to think differently, I normalize, validate, recognize and accept those patterns. We work toward tangible strategies so that clients can advocate for their rights, wants, needs and desires, challenge their own thoughts, reflect on their actions and the actions of others and  understand the impact their emotions. My interests and expertise also include grief related to life transitions, past experiences with homelessness, parental abuse, neglect or abandonment, immigrant experiences, substance use, self esteem, relationship challenges, roles and expectations, executive functioning challenges such as being organized or stying focused, overall wellbeing and connection to self. I collaborate with clients to explore unconscious thoughts; uncover the genesis of certain behavioral patterns;  identify cognitive, emotional and behavioral responses to stress, distress and threats to safety; process unresolved or repressed experiences and identify and address emotions. This process begins in our hour-long virtual sessions which might include role playing for assertiveness to conflict management, processing grief related to discrimination, grounding activities to regulate he nervous system, challenging questions to manage irrational thoughts and more. Moreover, clients will be encouraged to continue the work outside of sessions by practicing mindfulness, journaling, mood regulation, behavioral change activities and more.

 

I use CBT to help clients understand the link between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. In this process, they are able to identify and implement strategies to help alleviate or eliminate distress.I also use Motivational interviewing to bring awareness to undesireable behaviors or patterns and increase the chances that the person will desire and work to change their behavior by increasing intrinsic motivation. Specifically, my clients learn how to identify faulty thinking patterns, determine the value of current and future goals or desires,  how to challenge and reframe unhelpful or distressing thoughts, and how to activate appropriate behavior and response. Overall, my approach in counseling is person centered, trauma-informed, anit-racist, advocacy  focused, strength based, and goal oriented. I prioritize establishing trust, emotional/psychological safety and having a collaborative therapeutic relationship. I also incorporate mind-body work, solution focused, goal oriented, short term approach to therapy. I work with clients to process their experiences, belief systems, thought processes and societal influences. I understand the need for specialized support in order to assist with cultural identity, performance anxiety, burnout and other stress factors.

 

During therapy, I blend social justice and clinical frameworks to support clients in self-exploration, affirming identities, confronting the impact of biases and discrimination, resolve how family and other  systems affect them psychologically and build or strengthen interpersonal relationships. 

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I remain open, sensitive and responsive to clients' needs and use culturally appropriate interventions to offer support and direction related to relational trauma; family-of-origin difficulties; self-esteem; parent-child relationship challenges; racial, sexual, ethnic, spiritual identity etc. I'll respond to emails within hours.

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I attended Regent University and earned  Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. I am  certified by the The Board of Professional Counseling (Washington, DC) to provide supervised assessment, diagnostic and therapy treatment services. ​

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