Meet Camille Cooke

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Camille Cooke a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Camille, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

While studying in undergrad with the hopes of going to medical school, I took a Public Health class, and learned about hollistic care approaches focused on a mico and macro level and the positive impacts this can have for health outcomes. This class lead me to interning and ultimately working with pregnant and parenting adolescents at a local non-profit for the next five years. I really have to accredit working with this population, and learning their successes and challenges as where my passion to work clinically with individuals and couples was ignited. These young women, men and non-binary individuals were experiences stressors and strains on all of their relationships and needed a safe space and a community to help them through such a transitionary time in their lives. Learning their stories, offering non-judgmental support, and watching them flourish became my passion which lead me to my purpose in pursuing a clinical degree in social work and ultimately opening my private practice. I now get to support people navigating all types of relationships, with themselves, their partner(s)/spouse, their family and friends and help them develop tools to grow and engage in the relationships they want, need and deserve.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

My private practice works with high achieving individuals and couples using a hollistic approach to the Gottman Model of Couples Therapy to support building and maintaining healthy relationships that foster connection, emotional regulation and effective communication. Relationships, even strong ones, require consistent care and attention to have longevity and satisfaction. Most of the time we haven’t had the best role models or insight into what “healthy” or “normal” even is when it comes to relationships. Especially surrounding areas like conflict, intimacy and communication. Learning about peoples relationships, and what they hope for in them allows me to tailor my approach to help them meet their goal whether they are surviving a break up, starting to date, wanting a relationship tune up, noticing constant conflict, wanting more connection or even recognizing they can no longer be in a relationship.
I love being able to support my clients in reaching their relationship goals and having them experience the types of relationship they have been needing. For me it is very exciting when a client is able to tap into themselves and ask for what they truly need. To me that level of vulnerability and honesty with themselves is such an honor to witness and what I hope for with every person I work with.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

For me, being able to recognize the universality of relationship challenges and developing insight into my own relationships, especially with myself, has allowed me to be vulnerable and honest with in ways that have served me in my journey. This has also helped me develop unique insight to support my growth and development into the therapist and human I am today. This will always be a part of the personal and professional work that I do, as we don’t just stop growing.

Tell us what your ideal client would be like?

If you are someone who finds success in most of the areas in your life, but struggle with romantic relationships.
If you are someone who often feels stuck with dating, in your recovery from a break up, or in your current relationship.
If you find yourself worried about being with the right person, or if you’ll be doomed to pick the same partners over and over again winding up hurt.
If relationships feel overwhelming, and you are finding you are struggling to feel emotionally safe and secure in them, leading to hurt, disconnection and falling into the same pattern of conflict.
I would like to help you unlock the relationship you want, need and deserve. Because relationships are hard, and you don’t have to do it alone.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.therapywithcamillesd.com
• Other: Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/profile/1001667