Clinical Counseling

Counseling in Portland, Maine

Rosalie Genova, LCPC, CCS

Many people come to therapy feeling like they never quite fit the models they were handed. They’ve been given treatment plans that didn’t reflect their reality, told what their “goals” should be, or made to feel like their reactions were the problem instead of the conditions they’ve been living or working in. My work is intentionally different:

collaborative
human
grounded in real-life context.

As a licensed clinical professional counselor in Maine, I work with an eclectic population of clients: adult individuals (ages 18+) living with

substance use disorders
mental health issues like anxiety and depression
difficulties in work or relationships that come from working within systems that demand too much and give too little.

Many of my clients have tried therapy before and walked away feeling blamed, pathologized, or misunderstood. Here, you don’t have to fit a model for the work to be meaningful.

My counseling style is grounded in slowing down enough to see the problem clearly, understanding what truly matters to you, and building the capacity to move from thinking about change to taking the steps that move you toward it. We look at what’s misaligned between your values and your daily life, and set a path that feels realistic and self-directed.

Addictions

My thirteen years in addictions treatment shape how I understand change across all areas of life, not just substance use. Substance use is often treated with rigid rules, moralizing language, and pressure to conform.

I don’t believe in that.

Real, sustainable change requires agency, dignity, and the freedom to name what you want without fear of judgment. Whether you’re examining your own substance use or trying to make sense of a loved one’s, I offer

clarity
compassion
a grounded approach to finding the next step that feels right.

Moral Injury in Service Work

This same lens informs my work with clients experiencing moral injury or work-related distress, especially those in healthcare, education, social services, emergency response, the military, and other public-service professions. Often what gets called “burnout” is actually the pain of being asked to do work that violates your ethics or witnessing harm you can’t prevent. These experiences don’t get better with self-care tips; they require space to

name the truth
process the impact
reconnect with your sense of meaning.

Counseling becomes a place to understand what happened, reclaim your humanity, and decide what comes next.

Across all concerns, I draw on your intuition, lived experience, humor, and capacity for insight. I show up not as an authority prescribing a path but as a collaborator invested in your process. Together, we

clarify what’s happening
reconnect with your motivations
identify concrete steps that move you toward the life you want.

If you’re ready to get started, I offer a brief, free phone consultation to explore your goals and make sure we’re the right fit. I work primarily in-person, with limited telehealth available for ongoing clients.

Licensure

Maine LCPC #CC4978

Maine CCS #CCS7131

Page updated

Report abuse