John Spiesman, Ed.D., MSW, LISW

John Spiesman is a Licensed Independent Social Worker. He believes in a holistic approach to mental health that addresses the whole person – mind, body, and spirit. John has served as an educator of learners from kindergarten through graduate school for many years. He has practiced social work since 2006. John holds degrees from Lake Erie College (BSEd, MSEd), Youngstown State University (Ed.D.) and Cleveland State University (MSW).

John’s areas of expertise include working with older adolescents (17+), college age individuals and adults of all ages. John believes that one of the goals of therapy should be for a person to see a clear path to achieving life goals and dreams. This often occurs through in-depth self-study and examination, telling one's story and becoming comfortable with that story relative to a life situation. John believes that through therapy, an individual develops the confidence they need to face life with all its complications.

A variety of treatment methods may be necessary to achieve the goals of therapy. John is willing to explore options best for you, based on your individual needs. John’s areas of interest include, but are not limited to cognitive therapy, solution focused therapy, depression, anxiety, stress management, trauma (ITR and EMDR), educational counseling, family and individual therapy, life direction challenges, men’s issues, spiritual issues and dream work. John also works with adoptive parents (no assessment), general parenting issues, attention deficit disorders, self-esteem improvement, life coaching, career counseling and relationship issues.

John looks forward to working with current and new clients in designing a treatment plan to meet one’s individual needs. He enjoys sitting with them, listening to their personal stories, and helping them spread their wings and soar to new heights in life.

John Spiesman, Ed.D., MSW, LISW
Independent Social Worker

Contact

Position:
Licensed Independent Social Worker

Address:
8224 Mentor Ave, Suite 208
Mentor Ohio 44060

Email:
jspiesman@behavioralwellnessgroup.com

Phone:
440-392-2222 EXT 419

Fax:
440-565-2349

Articles

All or Nothing Thinking and Various Other Popular Cognitive Distortions

I was trying to think of a blog subject to write about this time for my blog. As I contemplated this, I noticed almost everyone in my Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Intensive Outpatient Group (IOP) was talking about their struggle to be perfect, or how they feel like failures if things are not exactly as they think they should be. I was hearing phrases like: All or nothing thinking, often called black and white thinking, can go hand in hand…

Emotion Regulation Skills

Click to watch this video.

COVID update for the reopening of the office

The Behavioral Wellness Group will be returning to the physical office to begin seeing clients in person. This is for those clinicians and clients who prefer in-person sessions. A genuine thank you to all of you who tolerated our necessary move to virtual sessions during the pandemic. Below is a summary generally outlining what to expect upon our return. We will continue to see those who prefer to be seen virtually through our platform using Zoom. Of course, this is…

Self-Compassion: The Science of Kindness

As we say goodbye to 2020 and look ahead to 2021, we can all acknowledge it was a particularly trying year for our nation and the world. According to the American Psychological Association, the compounding stressors of 2020 yielded a national mental health crisis across generations. When situational and societal stressors build, we are left to try and find ways to manage. Some people may reach out to family, some may call upon friends, others may rely on mental health…

Bipolar Disorder (Supporting Your Loved Ones)

When your loved one is diagnosed with bipolar disorder, there may be a couple of questions that run through your mind. The first question, “What is Bipolar?” and the second question, “What is my role when things start to unravel?” Furthermore, for many people who have been diagnosed with this specific disorder, becoming fearful, confused, and having no concrete plan on how to manage the next episode can dominate one’s thoughts. These thoughts are not easily subsided as a result…

Teens, Entitlement and Instant Gratification

We live in a world where we want things done yesterday. Instant gratification. We have access to the internet via our phones. At any second we can catch up with the news, check our bank accounts, and send an email. We can purchase something and have it delivered within 2 days. We can check our children’s grades online at any time, book an appointment, do research instantly. A decade ago, this wasn’t the case. We used to have to go…