Mary Ellen Bertling-Safford, MA, LPC, NCC, CAADCLicensed Professional Counselor
Certified EMDR Therapist
Mary Ellen believes that the pain and suffering we encounter along our individual paths in life can eventually lead to empowerment, self improvement and ultimately to the person our creator intended us to become. Inspired by the life and writings of Viktor Frankl during the early stages of her professional career, she found her therapeutic ‘voice’ in an approach that begins right where people are and uses life experience as an asset to be leveraged in the healing process. Mary Ellen believes that the road to wellness includes a holistic approach to treatment. She sees her role as a facilitator of your own personal discovery and empowerment. She also believes that we should not take ourselves or the context of our lives too seriously, and has seen how the power of humor can provide perspective and positive release. Each of us is an authentic work of art, shaped and molded by our experiences, both good and bad. Her treatment philosophy includes counseling each and every client as an individual, with care and without judgment, walking along side and sharing in one's pain and suffering, while providing a therapeutic encounter. She works with the biological, psychological, social and spiritual elements presented by each client and designs treatment solution sets that are clinically effective within a framework of hope.
Mary Ellen is an active member of the Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing International Association (EMDRIA), the National Board of Certified Counselors and The Michigan Board of Certified Advanced Addiction Professionals. Clinically trained in inpatient and outpatient mental health and rehabilitation settings, Mary Ellen provides counseling to individuals, couples, and families experiencing a host of psychological and social difficulties. Her certification in EMDR enables her to provide cutting-edge treatment to trauma victims and her hospital training has provided her the experience to work effectively with all age groups and the most presenting psychological difficulties. She has extensive experience in issues specific to women. Additionally, she works with area schools and churches in providing counseling and mentoring to parents and children with issues ranging from ADHD to family and age normative developmental difficulties.
Mary Ellen provides treatment services at her current practice location at Claystone Clinical Associates PLC where she is an owner-practicioner.