SOULUTIONS FOR YOUR MIND & BODY
Lindsay James, LLMSW
I have been working with children, teens, and families for nineteen years. I was a teacher in multiple school districts in Illinois and Michigan, and I’ve been involved in various programs aimed at increasing youth wellness and resilience. I am passionate about advocating for children and teens, and I enjoy supporting young adults, women, and parents as well.
I consider myself a well-rounded person and a therapist who is interested in getting to know clients from a nonjudgmental, supportive perspective. I view it as a privilege and a joy to learn about clients, their strengths, and their goals and to be part of their healing or self-improvement journey. I hope to empower others to become their best self, practice self-care, learn coping and communication skills, and to be healthy stewards of their mind and body. I use a client-centered, holistic, eclectic approach individualized to each person.
I am trained in trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy for children and teens, polyvagal theory, play therapy, mental health first aid, and CBT for suicide prevention. I am well-versed in solution-focused therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, and relaxation. It is my goal to provide a safe, warm, and welcoming space for clients from diverse backgrounds.
My Story
Lindsay grew up in suburban Chicago. She ran track in high school, and she volunteered at several homeless shelters, taking great interest in mental illness, poverty, and child and family issues. She was always geared toward understanding, teaching, and helping people from all different walks of life. She attended Illinois State University’s Honors College, volunteering as a tutor at a juvenile detention center and a translator for a prenatal clinic during this time. After graduating with a BA in Spanish, Lindsay earned a license as an emergency medical technician, with the goal of becoming a flight nurse. She traveled a lot during this time - to Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala, becoming more connected to the Hispanic community.
Lindsay went on to earn an MA in Teaching from Roosevelt University and got a job teaching Spanish at a high-ranking high school. She co-directed a teen leadership and drug prevention program and served as a special education liaison. Lindsay and her family moved to Michigan in 2011 for a slower pace of life and to enjoy the great outdoors. She taught Spanish at City Middle High and Chandler Woods Charter Academy and led a student trip to Costa Rica.
In 2019, Lindsay started her Master’s in Social Work, which she had been wanting to do for many years. At GVSU, she was a graduate assistant to the Director of the Graduate Program in the School of Social Work. She helped plan and facilitate the Social Justice Begins with ME! reading program and presented a paper about cultural competence at the Annual Program Meeting for the Council on Social Work Education.
During her internship at the Children’s Advocacy Center of Kent County, Lindsay provided trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy to children and teens. She co-facilitated art therapy and body safety groups and prepared a self-care group for teens. She presented on Play Therapy for Traumatized Children, conducted problematic sexualized behavior screenings, and completed mental health intakes as well.
Lindsay is excited and grateful to be working as a therapist at Mind Body Soulutions with a group of providers that share her interest in mental and physical wellness and child advocacy. Lindsay’s focus is on supporting children, teens, young adults, and women experiencing anxiety, depression, grief/loss, panic attacks, relational problems, pain, trauma, or perinatal issues.
On a personal level, Lindsay loves animals, and she enjoys running, gardening, hiking, and taking pictures of nature. She and her husband have two kids, two dogs, and two cats.