Marcia Ward, Ph.D. Clinical Psychologist
Essentially, psychotherapy involves talking and listening (for both the patient and the psychologist). You have many options when it comes to choosing a psychologist and not everyone feels a “connection” with the first psychologist they see. It’s okay to interview potential psychologists, and this website is one way that you can gauge whether I will be a good fit for you and your needs. Another way is to schedule a session and meet with me in person.
It takes courage and no small measure of hope to engage in the psychotherapy process. I believe that therapy can have healing effects on peoples’ lives and that emotional health significantly contributes to physical health and well-being. Facing stress, pain and trauma can be scary and upsetting. And with a skilled, experienced helper, addressing these issues through psychotherapy can be not only growth-filled and tension-relieving; it can be transformational.
My therapy approach combines aspects of many psychological theories; I choose the skill-set and a variety of “tools” that I believe will be most helpful in session to the person I am working with at any given time. I remain informed on new and emerging best practices so I can incorporate these skills into my established, tried and true methods, to best help my patients.
I am committed to being open to hearing what my patients tell me they need. I operate from a strengths and abilities perspective and have the skills to find these when a patient sees only darkness and loss. I am open, accepting and nonjudgmental. My job involves creating a calming space within which to work on difficult life problems, and I deeply respect the importance of privacy and confidentiality. Within this framework I have been able to help people I’ve worked with find the ability to resolve past issues, grow from pain and experience sustainable change in their lives.
I work solely with adults older than 20 years. I work with couples experiencing relationship issues. I have a sub-specialty in gero-psychology which means I am knowledgeable about the unique problems that can come with aging such as dementia, loss and finding meaning and purpose in later years. I earned my Ph.D. at Bowling Green State University in Ohio and completed my Doctoral Internship at the Detroit VA Hospital. I have professional licenses in Ohio and Michigan. I’ve been a full time practicing Clinical Psychologist for nearly 20 years. This means that I have earned my living working in my office with patients, face-to-face, day in and day out. I have the knowledge and experience to address most issues that a patient brings to a session. And when I don’t have the knowledge to work with a particular problem, I am quick to acknowledge this and turn my focus to assisting the patient in finding someone who can be helpful to them.
In my life as a regular person, I, like so many others living in northern Michigan, find peace and calm in the woods and along the shorelines. While scouring the ground for interesting stones, mosses and wildflowers, I try to remind myself to occasionally look up at the horizon in order to gain perspective. I think having hands in dirt and growing things helps one think more clearly. I think there’s nothing better than a book; for learning, for sharing, for healing. I believe music is necessary in daily life and that it grounds us. I am married and we have two children, a son and daughter, both in college. I have recently learned the joy of having a dog, whose main jobs are to make me laugh and keep me moving.
Essentially, psychotherapy involves talking and listening (for both the patient and the psychologist). You have many options when it comes to choosing a psychologist and not everyone feels a “connection” with the first psychologist they see. It’s okay to interview potential psychologists, and this website is one way that you can gauge whether I will be a good fit for you and your needs. Another way is to schedule a session and meet with me in person.
It takes courage and no small measure of hope to engage in the psychotherapy process. I believe that therapy can have healing effects on peoples’ lives and that emotional health significantly contributes to physical health and well-being. Facing stress, pain and trauma can be scary and upsetting. And with a skilled, experienced helper, addressing these issues through psychotherapy can be not only growth-filled and tension-relieving; it can be transformational.
My therapy approach combines aspects of many psychological theories; I choose the skill-set and a variety of “tools” that I believe will be most helpful in session to the person I am working with at any given time. I remain informed on new and emerging best practices so I can incorporate these skills into my established, tried and true methods, to best help my patients.
I am committed to being open to hearing what my patients tell me they need. I operate from a strengths and abilities perspective and have the skills to find these when a patient sees only darkness and loss. I am open, accepting and nonjudgmental. My job involves creating a calming space within which to work on difficult life problems, and I deeply respect the importance of privacy and confidentiality. Within this framework I have been able to help people I’ve worked with find the ability to resolve past issues, grow from pain and experience sustainable change in their lives.
I work solely with adults older than 20 years. I work with couples experiencing relationship issues. I have a sub-specialty in gero-psychology which means I am knowledgeable about the unique problems that can come with aging such as dementia, loss and finding meaning and purpose in later years. I earned my Ph.D. at Bowling Green State University in Ohio and completed my Doctoral Internship at the Detroit VA Hospital. I have professional licenses in Ohio and Michigan. I’ve been a full time practicing Clinical Psychologist for nearly 20 years. This means that I have earned my living working in my office with patients, face-to-face, day in and day out. I have the knowledge and experience to address most issues that a patient brings to a session. And when I don’t have the knowledge to work with a particular problem, I am quick to acknowledge this and turn my focus to assisting the patient in finding someone who can be helpful to them.
In my life as a regular person, I, like so many others living in northern Michigan, find peace and calm in the woods and along the shorelines. While scouring the ground for interesting stones, mosses and wildflowers, I try to remind myself to occasionally look up at the horizon in order to gain perspective. I think having hands in dirt and growing things helps one think more clearly. I think there’s nothing better than a book; for learning, for sharing, for healing. I believe music is necessary in daily life and that it grounds us. I am married and we have two children, a son and daughter, both in college. I have recently learned the joy of having a dog, whose main jobs are to make me laugh and keep me moving.