Monique Sorensen Porter LCMHC, LCAS, CCS
Psychotherapist
I’m Monique Sorensen Porter, known to friends and family as “Mo.” I am a psychotherapist located in Durham, NC. I want to help you create and sustain change in your life. I specialize in addiction therapy, trauma and relationship issues. I am a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC) and Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist (LCAS). I'm also a Certified Clinical Supervisor Intern (CCS-I) and supervise those seeking their LCAS credential.
Drug & Alcohol Use, Trauma & Relationship Issues
Addiction, trauma and relationship issues can often be related. Connection with others is a powerful thing. I believe that the relationships in our lives can be the biggest source of both pleasure and difficulty. When the relationships in our lives suffer, so do we. Additionally, trauma impacts our lives in more ways than we often realize and can impact the way we function in our relationships with others. Sometimes this suffering comes in the form of drug and alcohol use or sometimes we use substances as a temporary relief from suffering. I strive to help families break unhealthy cycles by providing family therapy. As a team, we are more powerful in creating and sustaining change. Addressing the trauma that is often coupled with drug and alcohol use also helps facilitate lasting changes.
Clients I Work With
I work with adults, adolescents (11yo and older), families and couples. I especially enjoy helping people who experience patterns of unhealthy relationships. These relationships can include challenging parent and child relationships, women who constantly date the wrong guy (toxic relationships), teenagers that seem to constantly argue with their parents and couples trying to navigate and improve challenges in their relationship. I have also learned that trauma deeply impacts our ability to form and sustain healthy relationships. I work with people who have had traumatic experiences in childhood from abusive parents to survivors of sexual assault and natural disasters. I also work with both those dealing with alcohol and drug abuse as well as their loved ones trying to navigate, understand and learn to help without enabling.
Monique is not able to take on new clients at this time. Please check out our other wonderful therapists to inquire about current availability.
How Therapy With Me Can Help
I utilize skills I have learned through the years often utilizing motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy and more recently brainspotting to help individuals recover from trauma, addiction, and improve the relationships in their lives. This basically means, I meet people where they are in terms of functioning, help them address faulty thinking patterns, challenge negative thoughts and utilize science and eye position to create lasting changes in both functioning and behavior patterns. To help couples improve their relationships, I utilize a few different assessment tools. For premarital counseling, I utilize the Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts (SYMBIS) assessment tool to help you explore some of the key aspects of how to make your relationship successful for years to come. For already married couples, we can also explore the Gottman Relationship Checkup to assist me in determining the best course of action for improving your relationship by identifying key areas of concern and specific actions we can take to get back on a path for mutual happiness.
On a more personal note...
When I'm not at work, you can often find me getting sweaty in a hot yoga or group exercise class. I also like to be outdoors whether it be walking my dogs or biking on the tobacco trail (for my Durham people). I also enjoy plants! I start a garden every spring that ultimately dries up in August when the North Carolina heat is just unbearable. Lately, I've been into the houseplants and succulents since I get to enjoy them all year. Monique Sorensen Porter offers psychotherapy in Durham, NC.