Rate Kieshara Matthews

Hello, my name is Kieshara Matthews. I am a Supervisee in Social Work in Virginia. I attended the illustrious Norfolk State University where I obtained my Bachelor’s in Social Work in December 2019. I then continued my education at Fordham University where I obtained my Master’s in Social Work in August 2020. In October of 2020 I became certified as a Qualified Mental Health Professional for adults and children. Prior to entering the field of Social Work, I worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant providing care and support to clients and their families. I’ve always been passionate about providing exceptional service and care to assist people with overcoming obstacles to reach their full potential.

I am passionate about helping people heal from childhood trauma and break generational curses. I currently provide therapy to young adults and adults who seek support managing the demands of adulting, relationship distress, and family relationships. Lately have you been feeling frustrated or unsure where you are going in life? If so, I can help by providing the support and guidance you need to get you to the next level. Through a non-judgmental, client-centered, and strength-based approach, I provide a nurturing environment and safe environment which allows for my clients to process their thoughts and feelings to provide clarity when they need it the most. Utilizing therapeutic techniques from various treatment modalities such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, and Mindfulness I strive to help clients deal with self-esteem issues, anxiety, depression, imposter syndrome, boundary setting, financial distress, parenting needs, life transitions, and other issues that may arise.

My Career in the field of social work started in January 2019 when I interned as a career counselor at Norfolk State University's Career Services Center reducing barriers to employment for students and alumni. While working in the career center I administered personality tests which helped explore the best matches for meaningful career placement for those entering college trying to decide on a major, those who had started their college career but were unhappy with their current degree choice, as well as those who had been in the workforce for some time but needed a change. I also helped reduce anxiety surrounding interviews by assisting clients with breaking down interview questions while exploring skillsets clients could offer their future employers. In addition, I facilitated resume workshops to assist students with building resumes and provided edits when needed. In January 2020 I went on to intern at Virginia Beach Psychiatric center working as a Social Work Intern helping adults age 18 and older to identify unhealthy thoughts to stabilize their moods and behaviors. During this time, I completed comprehensive assessments to assist clients with identifying their barriers to treatment. I facilitated psychosocial group sessions for those suffering from mental health disorders and substance abuse. In addition, I provide family counseling to assist clients with verbalizing the support needed from their families as well as provide psychoeducation on various disorders for the client’s families. I also provided case management by collaborating with the client’s psychiatrist and other community-based services. In January 2021 I started providing intensive in-home services to children, adolescents, and their families with Compass Youth and Family Services. During this time, I have provided mental health services to at-risk youth suffering from mental disorders as well as behavioral services. I provide crisis management for those experiencing imminent danger of being placed outside of their home. In addition, I’ve provided coaching for parents educating them on various parenting techniques to assist with strengthening the parent-child relationship. I’ve also provided brief sessions for parents to explore the effects unhealed trauma has on their parenting process. Utilizing family sessions, I’ve worked to help clients find healthy ways of communicating with each other. In addition, I provide clinical case management services by linking clients with various community-based resources in addition to collaborating with client’s medication management doctors as well as other treatment team providers.

If you are ready to start your healing journey and to reach your full potential I am here to assist! Let’s get started today!