TRANSCRIPT:
My name is Kate Elenbaas, I’m a new therapist here at Thriveworks Counseling and Coaching here in Grand Rapids. I’m very excited to be a part of th te team here.

I got my LMSW from Western Michigan University, and I’m also a certified, advanced addiction drug counselor here in town as well. Like I said, I’m super excited to be a part of the team here at Thriveworks. It allows me to really do what I love best and bring a lot of the skills and knowledge and work experience I’ve had over the past 13 years into my position here.

At Thriveworks, I specialize in dealing with people who are struggling from addiction, and I tend to treat the whole person and look at the reasons people began to use drugs and alcohol to begin with. As a person of long-standing recover, it allows me a really unique opportunity to see and meet people right where they’re at, and move move through that process of getting into recovery and learning some recovering skills and having some sustained sobriety over a period of time.

I think it’s really important to work with the families of people that struggle with addiction, as they often become very sick themselves. And I think it’s important to look at the whole family unit and work with folks together to allow healing to begin to take place.

I’ve worked with a variety of other disciplines and specialties over the year. Things like:

  • Women’s issues
  • Sexual abuse survivors
  • Co-occurring issues
  • And certainly depression and anxiety that accompany most people coming in for treatment

[Being] here at Thriveworks, it allows me to do — you know — what I love best, and really help people and meet people where they’re at and be in that moment with folks when they come in for therapy. It’s important to me for people to feel like they’re in a safe, non-judgmental environment and can really explore and talki about their issues in a compassionate manner.

I’ve worked a lot with the LGBT community as well, here in Grand Rapids, and I’ve really enjoyed that as well.

So, being a therapist here at Thriveworks, will allow me — one again — to do what I love best, and to help the people that come through our doors here.

I’m really excited!

To learn more about Kate Elenbass, read her bio at Thriveworks Grand Rapids Counseling.