Meet Erica

Erica Pulido

MS, Licensed Associate Counselor #37AC00754300

I believe that all people inherently have the potential and the capacity for awareness and growth. As a counselor, I meet clients where they currently are, and accompany them as they continue to explore themselves providing a safe and nonjudgmental environment. My professional passions surround working with first responders (firefighters, law enforcement, EMT, medical personnel), military and veterans. I am passionate about helping reduce the symptoms they are experiencing from the work they dedicated their lives to.

My approach is to create strong therapeutic relationships by taking time to discuss goals and building trust between everyone I have the pleasure of working with. Taking time to get to know each other and have an understanding of possible past traumas, we can move forward with therapeutic practices that will be the most beneficial.

Specialized Training

Basic EMDR training in progress

Theories of Influence & Experience

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing: (EMDR) is an empirically validated trauma treatment that utilizes bilateral stimulation to process traumatic memories or other distressing life experiences. When a person is traumatized, their body stores the memory in a way that does not allow for healthy healing. Newer experiences can become outlined with earlier unprocessed trauma experiences and reinforce a negative response over and over. EMDR allows clients to reprocess the trauma memory and create a new response.

Psychodynamic Therapy: focuses on unconscious processes as they are manifested through our behavior. The goal of psychodynamic therapy is to increase self-awareness and understanding of the influence of the past on present behavior.

Narrative Therapy: focuses on viewing clients as separate from their problems and distressing behaviors. This allows clients to get some distance from the difficulty they face and can help create perspective which allows a client to have the ability to re-engage with their difficulty, but through a different lens.

Attachment Theory: focuses on relationships and bonds between people, including those between a parent and child and between romantic partners. It is a psychological explanation for the emotional bonds and relationships between people.

Education

MS, Clinical Mental Health Counseling - Monmouth University

BA, Dance Performance | BS, Nutrition | Minor Psychology - Cedar Crest College