The Heart & Soul of CTLC
The story, meaning, and ideas behind CTLC.
Our Name
The name Center for Thoughtful Lasting Change grew out of my own experience as a behavior analyst.
Behavior analysis has sometimes been described in ways that make it sound mechanical or disconnected from feelings, relationships, and caring. That was never how I experienced the work. My training and the colleagues I learned from showed me that behavior analysis could be both scientific and deeply thoughtful.
The word thoughtful came to represent both sides of that for me. It reflected how much I cared about the people I worked with, but also the careful, systematic way we tried to understand what was happening before deciding how to help.
I wanted the name of the practice to reflect that combination: thoughtful, caring, and lasting life changes.
Over time, CTLC has grown beyond behavior analysis, but the meaning of the name has stayed remarkably consistent. Whether we are doing psychotherapy, assessment, developmental services, supervision, or consultation, we still believe good clinical work begins with understanding the person and proceeds with intention rather than simply applying a technique.
That idea now sits at the heart of CTLC’s guiding principles:
- Understand Before Intervening
- Relationship Before Technique
- Development Before Diagnosis
- Strengths Before Deficits
- Growth Before Perfection.
Our Story
I have always been passionate about helping people change and grow. Being able to support someone in making changes that can alter the course of their life is an honor I do not take lightly.
When I established the Center for Thoughtful Lasting Change in 2008, I initially envisioned a practice where I could provide thoughtful, high-quality clinical services. Over time, CTLC grew into something more.
As our team developed, I found that I was equally passionate about mentoring and learning from talented clinicians and professionals. CTLC became not only a place to provide services to children, adults, and families, but also a place to support the growth of the people providing those services.
Today, CTLC continues to reflect both of those commitments: providing thoughtful, high-quality care and helping guide the next generation of clinicians as they develop their own skills, judgment, and professional identities.
Sherry Casper
Founder / Clinical Director
Our Logo
Our logo is the brainchild of illustrator Glenda Rogers and was inspired by the familiar Gestalt image in which you may first see either a vase or two faces.
The Gestalt image reflects an idea that has always been important to me: we can look at the same situation and see something entirely different depending on where we focus. Sometimes meaningful change begins with seeing something differently.
It also reflects the idea of psychological flexibility. Being able to shift perspective, hold more than one way of understanding an experience, and respond with greater flexibility can open up possibilities that are harder to see when we are stuck in one way of thinking or reacting.
The two faces also represent relationship, because meaningful change does not happen in isolation. It happens in connection with other people, through understanding, reflection, and the ways we influence one another.
The flowers represent growth and the possibility of something new emerging.
Together, those ideas became a visual expression of what I wanted CTLC to stand for: perspective, psychological flexibility, relationship, growth, and thoughtful, lasting change.