Month: September 2022

Provider Spotlight: Beth Myers, PsyD

Provider Spotlight: Beth Myers, PsyD

Barbour Community Health Association is excited to welcome Dr. Elizabeth Myers to the behavioral health team. Dr. Myers will work with patients of all ages at the Myers Clinic. We chatted with Dr. Myers to learn more about her experience in the mental health field and what she hopes to offer for her patients and this community.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I grew up in and graduated high school in rural Virginia and following graduation I attended Emory and Henry College where I majored in sociology and psychology. I then received my Master’s degree in Clinical/Counseling Psychology from Augusta University in Georgia and my Psy. D.in Clinical Psychology from Marshall University in 2020. I have moved all over the east coast but have a special place for Appalachia and am excited to be back!

What types of conditions do you treat or work with?

I’m trained to work with a range of patients from small children to older adults. I tend to integrate trauma-informed interventions into my practice, particularly those rooted in DBT, or dialectical behavior therapy. It was originally created to treat those individuals struggling with chronic suicidality and emotional dysregulation but also focuses on acceptance of their current situation while also commitment to change. I feel like DBT-type principles can be applied to all patients who are seeking better life skills and experience a range of relational stress.

What is the ideal patient/who should seek your care?

Historically, I have worked a lot with adolescents just because there are not a lot of clinicians who focus on this population and the need is so great, but I don’t have an ideal patient. I just enjoy working with those who are wanting the help and willing to put in the work. It’s my job to orient them to the therapy situation and provide a welcoming and safe environment along the way.

Why should I see you/what can you do for me that another doctor can’t?

As a therapist and just a human in general, I tend to be pretty down-to-earth and flexible, but I do hold my patients accountable and I want to make sure they’re investing in themselves just as I am investing in them. I want my patients to feel like it’s the right fit when working with me and if it’s not, we’ll work to find what does work with them. I do put a lot of effort into meeting my patients where they are in life and helping them navigate the process. Therapy is such a vulnerable experience, and making sure that a client feels comfortable with and supported by me is a primary focus. I also provide psychological testing and assessment, which is in high demand right now in the state and country, resulting in waiting lists of 50+ at times. We are running into a shortage of clinicians who can do this type of assessment, so I feel so grateful to be able to join the team and help provide more of this service and cut down on the wait time. This kind of testing can be especially helpful for those impacted by anxiety disorders, learning disabilities, ADHD, personality disorders, and more. We often think about this kind of testing in the school setting for children who may be having academic struggles, but it is also important for adults and older adults who may have been mis-or undiagnosed as children or those dealing with chronic exposure to trauma or onset of later-in-life conditions, such as a neurocognitive disorder.
 
Describe yourself/your professional style in 3 words.
 
I would describe my style as humanistic, client-centered, and integrative. I truly believe people are doing the best they can with their current resources and my job is to bring what I can to the table to help them out with that. I try to integrate strategies across different types of therapy, depending on what the client is dealing with and their own unique style.
 
Anything else that you would really like potential patients to know about you?
 
I am so excited to join this agency and am looking forward to meeting more members of the community, both in a professional and personal setting. Everyone has been so welcoming thus far, and it is amazing to see an agency so focused on and open to providing behavioral healthcare to our community.

Dr. Myers will be seeing patients at our Myers Clinic.