Meet Olivia
Licensed Professional Counselor in Central PA
Hi there, I'm Olivia Wise a Licensed Professional Counselor in Central Pennsylvania. I live with my husband, our sweet daughter and our two dogs. I am a born and raised Pennsylvanian. Although I have ventured off to many places throughout my life, my small, blink and you'll miss it, town has my heart and is where I call home.
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I graduated from Shippensburg University in 2014 with my Bachelor's in Psychology and later in 2017 with my Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.
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I have worked in a variety of different counseling settings. These include Drug and Alcohol Outpatient, Drug and Alcohol Inpatient, Drug and Alcohol Medical Assisted Treatment, and Mental Health Outpatient. Having experience in multiple different treatment settings allows me to work with a wide diversity of clients.
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The Therapeutic Relationship
If you are taking the time to read this part of my website, it looks like you are becoming invested in the idea of therapy. So what is therapy? Moreover, what is a therapeutic relationship?
Well, in my opinion a therapeutic relationship is an interactive relationship between a counselor and and client that is caring in nature, built on trust, and establishes healthy boundaries. As a therapist, I believe that all clients know themselves better than anyone. I often use this metaphor when describing therapy. "It's like going on a road trip while driving and navigating directions at the same time. Clients are in the driver's seat doing most of the guiding, whereas myself as the therapist is riding along in the passenger seat guiding where needed and bringing awareness to blind spots." When clients can feel safe in therapy, it allows people work through difficult areas of their life and have the ability to make change and see positive growth.
As humans, we are made to be relational. We seek Connectedness with one another. Sometimes, the connections we make in our lives outside of therapy are unhealthy or harmful. Sometimes we have control over them and other times we do not. A therapeutic connection can foster a safe, healthy, and caring relationship to help feel supported and build self-worth.
Why I Chose Counseling
I can sum this up in one word, LIFE. Although, that doesn't explain much, does it? But, it's true. Life can be hard and feel unfair, especially when curve balls are thrown your way.
Throughout my life, I have experienced many unexpected events such as trauma, grief and loss, and self-sabotaging behaviors. With each new negative experience, I felt more defeated, powerless, and alone. The expectations I put on myself and on others was unrealistic. I felt as if I was undeserving of healthy relationships, and self-compassion.
It wasn't until I began my own counseling journey that I realized the importance of having a safe place to emotionally unpack years of hurt, guilt, and shame. Having a non-judgmental space was the cherry on top, and made me come back session after session.