Therapists are as unique as the clients who seek their help. Talkspace’s “Meet Our Therapists” series offers intimate access to the mental health professionals who provide care. It’s a view of their passion for making therapy more accessible. Check out our latest interview below!
Name: Alicia Winkle
Licensing Info: Licensed Professional Counselor [LPC #3290] in Alabama
Time Working With Talkspace: 2 years
Time Working as a Therapist: 5 years
Why are you working in therapy/mental health?
I’ve always wanted to be in the helping field. Originally, I was in school to be a nurse practitioner. After having anxiety issues myself and dropping out of nursing school and college for a semester, I changed my major to psychology. From there I decided I wanted to help people overcome their own obstacles and make changes in their lives by working as a therapist. I went back to school at the University of North Alabama and got my master’s degree in Community Counseling. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
Why did you want to start working with Talkspace?
My previous boss is actually the one who sent me a link to Talkspace. I was intrigued by the possibility of providing therapy to people while they stayed at home. Seeing so many patients in my previous work with serious mental illnesses who struggle to get out of bed due to depression, and to leave their homes due to anxiety, made me think of all the people I could offer services to if I was a therapist on the platform.
What has made you feel the most pride in your work at Talkspace?
Definitely seeing clients make progress and hearing them say “thank you.” It’s pretty amazing for clients to be able to tell you minutes after big news happens to them, such as overcoming a significant obstacle in their lives or when something exciting happens, such as an engagement, having a child, etc.
Do you have any special credentials, modalities, or specializations? If so, how do they complement your work as a whole?
I focus on helping those struggling with anxiety and post traumatic stress disorder [PTSD] symptoms. I am trained in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy [TF-CBT] that I utilize with children in private practice.
On Talkspace, I use other evidence-based practices to assist adults struggling with similar symptoms. It’s really amazing to see clients who have refused treatment, been unable to commute to an office, or are too anxious to see a therapist face-to-face receive and benefit from therapy on the Talkspace platform.
What do you do for fun?
I love to be outside! The beauty of working with Talkspace is I can lay in my hammock and be productive or even work when traveling to the beach. I also love to run, camp, hike, kayak, and redo furniture.
Do you have a mental health hero?
I have to say Carl Rogers. It would have been amazing to meet him! I’m a huge believer that progress cannot be made in therapy without a safe and accepting space provided by a therapist. If a therapist doesn’t believe in a client, it makes it near impossible for the client to completely fulfill their true potential.
We don’t have to completely understand everything a client shares with us. But if we, as therapists, are there with the client and nonjudgmental — providing a safe and open environment where the client knows they are not being judged and are truly being listened to — amazing things can happen.
Talkspace articles are written by experienced mental health-wellness contributors; they are grounded in scientific research and evidence-based practices. Articles are extensively reviewed by our team of clinical experts (therapists and psychiatrists of various specialties) to ensure content is accurate and on par with current industry standards.
Our goal at Talkspace is to provide the most up-to-date, valuable, and objective information on mental health-related topics in order to help readers make informed decisions.
Articles contain trusted third-party sources that are either directly linked to in the text or listed at the bottom to take readers directly to the source.
