nice things people say

The Triangle Region of North Carolina is fortunate to have Rose Reif providing counseling and behavioral therapy.  Despite the growing need for counseling and mental health interventions for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, those services are either not offered in our area or there is a lack of qualified professionals that can effectively engage with this group.  Rose’s abilities and sensitivities in counseling, specifically related to people with disabilities, is compelling and a much needed addition to our community.

We are so blessed to have Rose offer workshops for our parents and care providers! Rose has a very warm and inviting nature about her that makes it easy for folks to interact with her. I continue to receive positive comments from attendees who have participated in her workshops.

Most counselors assume that people with intellectual disabilities are incapable of having insights about themselves or that they can’t learn coping skills. Many counselors are quick to assume that learning challenges can’t be surmounted, so they don’t try new and creative things. Therapists often get really stuck in their offices and their modalities, while you literally meet people where they are. You are kind and smart, and offer unconditional positive regard and respect for a population that is routinely dismissed. I’m also impressed with the work you do with providers to bolster more mentally healthy approaches to service provision, like training direct support professionals to communicate validation to people with disabilities.

Ms. Reif is an intellectually sophisticated clinician who is well trained, intuitive, and guided by principals of science and humanity in her approach to human suffering. I would have no reservation sending a family member to see her.

Counseling people with disabilities takes more than just counseling skills. Understanding the different levels and types of abilities one possesses, being aware of how to effectively communicate with people who have disabilities (especially those with intellectual, behavioral or auditory challenges), and being open to learning more about diagnoses that are not in the DSM-5 are all important qualities for a counselor to have who wants to serve the disability population. Rose Reif stands out among other counselors as a person who has not only strong clinical counseling skills, but also the warmth, insight, patience and demeanor that is needed to work with populations who have special needs. She is gifted at reaching people who have intellectual, behavioral and physical disabilities. She understands how to differentiate what may be a diagnosis for mental illness from the types of behaviors that are commonly associated with certain types of disabilities. She is caring, non-judgmental and thoughtful in her treatment approaches. Clients whom Rose serves make excellent progress as she provides them with reachable and reasonable goals. Her kindness and openness to serving others who are not necessarily understood or appreciated by most of society is evident; thus, her clients trust her to have their best interests in mind as she skillfully works with them to help them overcome concerns and issues that impede their functioning. She also works well with parents and guardians of those who have a loved one with special needs, and she is able to balance out the focus on her clients with the concerns of loved ones. I highly recommend Rose Reif and her services to anyone who has a disability and is seeking counseling. Her work is stellar, whether it is with an adolescent who has ADHD or an older adult with intellectual impairments. She is truly the best person I know to provide therapy to clients with disabilities.