About Ruth M Schofield, LMFT » Family Counseling Center In Rio Rancho, NM

Ruth M Schofield is a skilled and experienced Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. With nearly 30 years in private practice, having worked for 25+ years in Connecticut and now in New Mexico. Ruth works with adult individuals, and couples who are struggling with various life issues to help them to live their lives to their full potential.

The various issues that clients struggle with can include their relationships, work, economics, sexuality, children, family, etc. There is often some depression, or anxiety as part of this therapy. Survivors of abuse—sexual, and emotional—report they feel safe, cared for, and comfortable enough to share and examine how to take the sting out of their past traumas. Additionally, grief work may be needed as part of this path to healing.

Grief work leads to a gentler resolve with one’s life issues such as parenthood with its various complexities including fertility situations, death of a child, a loved one, a parent. Post Trauma Stress, the impact of prolonged abusive experiences can be part of this grief work. Sometimes extensive child sexual abuse can lead to Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) and one’s own emerging self and sense of one’s sexual identity. Ruth’s knowledge and skills working with DID includes years of being taught by hundred’s of clients who have this experience and have gone on to live a happier, safe, self-led life.

Using a family centered perspective, which includes attention to your gender, sexuality, age, social situation, family dynamics, birth order, and such – Ruth approaches clients’ situations and problems with the goal of finding solid workable and livable solutions. The use of cognitive behavioral techniques work especially well for mild to moderate behaviorally based issues such as panic attacks. The addition of ‘parts work’, which refers to one’s inner thoughts, feelings, and beliefs, of the Internal Family Systems approach can be a source which taps one’s deep strengths as present and past conflicts are resolved.

Ruth’s viewpoint is very “client centered”; it is positive, compassionate, gentle, and caring. Clients are heard, and validated, by someone whose focus is understanding them and where they come from, who guides them to negotiate a new, improved, and smoother path and an easier life journey their own way.

In the past, Ruth was an adjunct professor, teaching at the graduate level to others who were pursuing their master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. These courses utilized her extensive experience with client couples and survivors of sexual abuse, and the family dynamics of such situations.

Ruth recommends the “try me” approach for clients for several sessions to determine if the connection works positively for them. At present, Ruth is on a number of insurance panels including: Blue Cross, Presbyterian, Aetna, Molina, and Medicaid. She also accepts out of pocket payments using a sliding fee scale.