Jonathon Yassanye

LIFE CAN BE FULFILLING! We have ALL experienced stress, anger, anxiety and depression at different points of time, yet sometimes having one or all of these emotions can be overwhelming to the point of creating constant dysfunction in day-to-day living. Therapy is a liberating avenue to explore oneself and find inner peace that may be hidden under internal and external factors. It is important to feel heard and validated, especially when one is at their wits’ end. I am a firm believer in meeting each client where they are at in their journey of life and learning how they would like to approach their presenting problem(s), whether it be though visiting past experiences or keeping the discussion within the present moment, we will be able to co-create an individualized plan to help alleviate symptoms, as well as promote a healthier you, through psychoeducation and self-care techniques. I am a graduate of Case Western Reserve University and bring five years of clinical expertise to the field of adult mental health. During graduate school, I interned at Circle Health Services (formerly The Free Clinic) in Cleveland, Ohio, where I advanced my therapeutic skills in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), anger management skill training and brief psychodynamic therapies, while keeping a person-centered approach to the therapeutic relationship with my clients. Later, I had the privilege to join Jewish Family Service Association of Cleveland (JFSA), where I completed additional education in Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders. Here, I learned not only about different causes of cognitive decline and the biological facets that may be affected, but how to engage with an individual no matter what stage of cognitive impairment they are experiencing. In addition to working with affected individuals, I provided on-going psychotherapy to family caregivers, to help reduce the stress and burden that often occurs while caregiving. Throughout my time at JFSA, I earned my clinical license in social work, while being supervised by a clinical social worker who helped deepen my breadth of knowledge in Gestalt therapy, as well as grief and loss, experientialism, depression and anxiety. I have been trained by the co-founder, Dr. Carey Sherman, PhD., to facilitate the Savvy Caregiver Program and by Dr. Elizabeth O’Toole, MD, to administer an array of psychological measures, including the GDS, MoCA, PHQ-9, The Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire, QOL-AD, and the Revised Scale for Caregiving Self-Efficacy.