Welcome to Better Help! You’ve taken a the first and often most difficult step toward getting the help and support you are seeking. It can often be a bit scary and intimidating to reach out and make yourself vulnerable to a new person, but I assure you that I will do my absolute best to help you feel comfortable and to support the development of a trusting therapeutic relationship. My name is Blaire Schroder and I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in both New York and New Jersey. I earned my Masters in Social Work from Adelphi University in 2009 and have a Bachelors Degree in Psychology from Queens College as all of my secondary education is in the field of mental health. I have approximately 14 years of professional experience working in many different settings with individuals and families who have a variety of personal issues such as depression/anxiety, stress, family problems, trauma/abuse, relationships/parenting and more. My experience has taught me that the most important aspect of counseling is the connection and comfort you feel with the person you choose to share your personal struggles with. I believe we all have the capacity to develop self-awareness through our challenges and therefore be equipped to make positive changes and improve our overall quality of life. Sometimes an individual with an outside perspective and no prior connection can offer an unbiased perspective, can provide helpful support, and can guide and motivate us to successfully address a difficult situation at times when we may feel otherwise stuck. It would be my privilege to be that person for you. We all want to be able to share our personal experiences, perspectives, feelings and even flaws, and have a strong desire to be both accepted and understood. I believe that being open-minded and non-judgmental when someone shares their personal story with me to be critical to the development of a trusting relationship and I sincerely look forward to developing that connection with you.