Hi, my name is Aren Lord, and I am a Clinical Social Worker (LMSW) who specializes in working with children, adolescents and families. I have also worked in outpatient settings with adults with anxiety, depression,  postpartum, life adjustments, blended families, grief and loss, and trauma. 

I can imagine that for some your journey to therapy is hard. As a therapist, I honor each person’s process of coming to treatment and value their time and commitment. Each person’s journey is unique and I find it a great privilege to walk beside someone in their journey. Therapy is a place that individuals come to find healing and healing can be challenging. I hope you find a safe space to heal during the journey.

Counseling Approach

As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, I approach working with clients as a journey and believe it to be a partnership.  I bring experience in tools from DBT, CBT, Strengths based, Family Systems Theory, Play therapy, Solution Focus, and Psychotherapy to help clients find different ways to approach their journey. I try to approach each session thoughtfully and work towards client center goals. My heart is for clients to experience a safe space to explore their thoughts and feelings that have led them to seek treatment. I believe in using talk therapy plus tools to help clients find what best fits their needs in treatment. I find working collaboratively helps clients feel empowered to find healing and then they feel like they are in control of their own treatment.

Education & Experience

I graduated from Grand Valley State University in 2008 with my graduate degree in Social Work. From there I have worked with children, adolescents, families, and adults in a variety of settings. I have worked with children who were placed in the foster care system. I worked in Kent County with the young offender program to help rehabilitate children who became part of the legal system due to committing crimes at young ages. I have also worked in home-based settings where I provided individual and family therapy to community members who were at risk. I had the privilege of working in a school district to provide outpatient services to students in K-12 grades. I have worked in a traditional outpatient setting where clients (children, adolescents and adults) came to an office setting to receive treatment. Most recently, I have been working in a psychiatric hospital setting providing a higher level of care to individuals who needed daily care due to being in crisis.

In my free time, I love to spend time with my family. We enjoy camping, fishing, kayaking or just being in nature.

If you would like to schedule an initial assessment with me, call 616-499-4711 or click the “Schedule with Aren” button below; I’d be happy to meet with you and help explore next steps.

Aren