About

Alisia Ives, MS, LPC at Status Therapy, LLC

I’ve been counseling people for nearly twenty years, most of that time in private practice. I am from Pennsylvania originally, and my family has deep generational roots here.  I called Maine home for almost 19 years and really enjoyed the trees and water. When COVID 19 came about, people seemed to arrive in droves and people with the funds to do it even bought entire golf courses to settle into for themselves. It was time to for me to find a new home. I had been thinking about it for some time, and like many of you, I had to pull myself up by my bootstraps and refocus away from my fears to do all the things that had to be done to make a big move.  And all the things that keep coming even after the ‘big move’ part is done. It has been a joy to be back among the foliage and animals I grew up with. May apple plants on the forest floor remind me of peeking under the leaves as a kid looking for their fruit. Not to eat though.

Since returning, I have noticed a couple of invaders like the spotted lanternfly – ugh! Not good for our trees. And what a bold creepy creature in all its nymph stages — I digress.

Attended University of Delaware for my undergraduate degree and earned my Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Maine system. Before shifting to counseling I worked as a trust officer in personal banking. The knowledge gained in the financial field has only added to the perspective in meeting with folks.

I have always been interested in feeling good in one’s own skin. And holistic health. When we meet, you will share about the whole you.

Treatment Approach

I use a variety of approaches called eclectic therapy to address my clients’ unique needs. How you think, feel and behave are key to your experience in life. Self-discipline, being able to not only be active in movement, but also be still (sit still, be alone without a smartphone for periods), enrich life.

Research supports the practice of self-compassion and mindfulness in psychotherapy. Neuroscience research tells us that people who practice these techniques are happier, more resilient, and better equipped to put the past in the past, and deal with what happens in the present. Furthermore, there are types of treatment that have been used without a lot of talking that have proven helpful to people.

Talking therapy can stir up unpleasant feelings at first. This is normal. In fact, as you become accustomed to this internal pushback when you make changes, you will recognize it and know you’ve got what it takes to see the change through. I encourage people to lean into, and become accustomed to, this feeling of discomfort. It is no different from using a new muscle and finding it is not as powerful as you would like it to be, and having some soreness when you have worked it more than you usually do.

Charles Darwin, a biologist who presented the theory of natural selection, tells us it is not how smart you are, or how fit you are, but how well you adjust to change that equates to survival. I want to help you feel confident in handling the changes life inevitably brings.

Education & Credentials:

• License #: PC018250
• License State: PA
• Practicing Since: 2006
• Education: Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Southern Maine
  Bachelor of Arts in Interpersonal and Organizational Communication from the University of Delaware