With an everlasting passion for helping people, Carrie Carlton, the lead therapist at Beachway Therapy Center has a knack for exactly that as she continues to assist her clients to rebuild themselves into successful members of society. “She engaged me immediately by taking the time to get to know me, she taught me how to cope with my depression and addiction by challenging my negative beliefs in myself. She encouraged me to put the past behind me while giving me ways to conquer my fears. Carrie made me feel important, successful and confident in myself.” Said past client Kristin W. Carlton is the type of therapist that goes above and beyond her daily duties for her clients.
Carlton started off in the medical field and was always an advocate for the clients. She took a personal interest in clients with emotional issues and noticed how greatly these issues impacted their lives. “I wanted to help them through their personal issues to live productive lives.” Said Carlton. With the growing interest of helping others and her respect for the 12 steps of recovery and noticing what an impact it’s made for many and helped change lives is where her attraction to a career path in helping those suffering with alcoholism and addiction began.
Carlton was born in Miami, Florida, where she had an amazing upbringing. Through her personal experiences she was exposed to the disease of alcoholism at a young age and was always taught strong work ethics and family values, that there is no wonder that she is so capable of providing help to the addict in need. In addition with these experiences and with some of her key mentors, Carlton ended up having specific areas of expertise such as family therapy and addiction, which focuses on helping the family cope and rebuild, as well as CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), which helps break down the distortive thought patterns and behaviors a client may be having.
What makes it worth it for Carlton is the ability to connect with people emotionally and be of service. “Seeing clients make necessary changes to embrace sobriety. Seeing the most resistant become willing to do something different to change their lives and watching their perceptions about themselves and the world change over time.” Said Carlton when asked what makes her job rewarding.
Carlton’s hopes for the future are just more developed versions of her initial passion and purpose of helping others. She wants nothing more than to prepare the clients for success and stability in sobriety and life promoting long term sobriety. “I want to help the clients to prepare for an exciting sober life; helping them to grow emotionally and learn how to manage emotions in a healthy way, breaking the patterns of addictive thinking.” Said Carlton. Working at Beachway Therapy Center, with its stable and safe environment that assists clients in transitioning through treatment and phases in order to recover and become stable and self sufficient, she believes this goal is more possible than ever.
