Charlene DeRito

Gottman Therapist Near Me | Charlene DeRito, LPC

Gottman Method couples counseling and trauma therapy in Greensburg, PA and online across Pennsylvania

Hi. My name is Charlene DeRito, and I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. If you have been searching for a Gottman therapist near me and wondering whether your relationship can get back to steady ground, I would like you to know that the hardest part is the part you are doing right now. “You don’t need to know the way, you just need to take the next step. The path will meet you there.” The most difficult first step is to make the phone call and reach out for help, but it is the most rewarding as well. I see clients in person at our Greensburg office and virtually throughout Pennsylvania.

Anxiety, depression, grief, relationship woes, and even trauma can be difficult to navigate on your own, and can be exhausting. My hope is that by the time we begin our journey together, after some time you will notice some relief, challenge some thoughts, and normalize the emotions being felt. I enjoy being able to walk alongside the path of all my clients through the ups and downs that can be experienced.

The Gottman Method in My Practice

When couples come to me, we are usually not starting with the fight they had last Tuesday. We are starting with what the two of you actually know about each other now, and what got lost along the way. The Gottman Method gives that work a structure. It is built on decades of research into what keeps partners connected and what pulls them apart, and it gives us something concrete to build on instead of simply taking turns describing the same argument.

As a Gottman therapist near me for couples across Westmoreland County and virtually statewide, I draw on the Gottman Method alongside Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy, shaping the combination to fit the two people in front of me. All methods used are research based and I can provide the research to help you understand. My approach is simple. I start with a slow building of rapport and create a plan according to the needs of those I meet with. I enjoy meeting everyone where they are within that moment.

What Counseling With Me Looks Like

• We move at a pace you set. I allow you to decide what direction each appointment goes.
• Sessions are conversational, not clinical interrogation. Sometimes that means would you rather questions, games, or drawing.
• You get the reasoning behind the method. If you want to see the research, I will show you the research.
• I integrate creative modalities like art, music, and games, especially with younger clients and families.
• Couples work is structured around what the Gottman research says actually predicts repair, not around who was right.
• I see clients age five and over, so a family does not have to split across three practices to get help.

Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD

Some of what brings people in is older than the relationship they are trying to save. For clients carrying post-traumatic stress, I use Cognitive Processing Therapy, a structured, evidence-based protocol developed specifically for PTSD. Rather than asking you to retell the worst thing that happened to you over and over, Cognitive Processing Therapy works on the beliefs that the event left behind, the conclusions you drew about yourself, other people, and what is safe.

• A defined arc, so you know roughly how long the work will take and what each stage is for
• Focused on the stuck points that keep the past shaping the present
• Appropriate for single-incident trauma and for trauma that accumulated over years
• Available in person in Greensburg and virtually across Pennsylvania
• Can be paired with couples work when trauma is affecting the relationship

Who I Work With

As a Licensed Professional Counselor based in Greensburg, PA, I work with individuals, couples, and families who are looking for:

• A Gottman therapist near me who can help a relationship that has gone quiet or combative
• Treatment for PTSD that has a plan attached to it, not just open-ended talk
• Help with anxiety, depression, stress, and grief and loss
• Support for a child or teen struggling with school worries, who needs a counselor comfortable with art, music, and play
• Family counseling where more than one person in the house is carrying something
• A therapist in Westmoreland County who also offers virtual sessions when getting to an office is the hard part

Credentials and Background

• Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
• Master of Science in Education, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Duquesne University
• Bachelor of Science, University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg
• Trained in the Gottman Method, Cognitive Processing Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
• Currently completing training in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)
• Contract therapist with Westmoreland County Children’s Bureau for the past two years
• Began her career in drug and alcohol counseling in outpatient and inpatient settings, then moved into private practice counseling in Indiana, PA and now Greensburg, PA
• Treats clients age five and over

Ready to Find a Gottman Therapist Near You?

Ever wonder what your next step should be? Maybe it should be to place a call and see if I could be the right therapist to help you. Whether you are a couple looking for a Gottman therapist near me, someone ready to address PTSD with a structured approach, or a parent trying to find the right person for your child, I would be glad to talk. Call the Counseling and Wellness Center of Pittsburgh to schedule with me at our Greensburg office or by telehealth anywhere in Pennsylvania.

Outside the office you can find me with my mini-goldendoodle Kaylee, at a local football game in the fall, lost in a good book, or trying out a new recipe from the internet or the family cookbook.