Counseling Services
One of the most meaningful things you can do is to learn to treat yourself with kindness and compassion.
It may seem simple, but bad relationships, traumatic experiences, and difficult life transitions have a way of changing how we think and feel about ourselves - usually for the worse. We too often find ourselves lost in the emotional pain, feeling unfulfilled in our lives and gradually losing hope that things can get better.
But it doesn’t have to be that way!
I want to help you feel connected with yourself again. To create those healthy boundaries you’ve wanted. To feel unburdened from the weight of the depression and anxiety and anger. To heal. To grow.
As a therapist, I strive to establish a space of trust and compassion, and I’m ready to work my absolute hardest to help you meet any of the goals you set for yourself in therapy. I believe it’s important to have a relaxed, conversational environment that allows us to tackle the more challenging topics with a sense of security and (if we’re lucky) enjoyment at overcoming those emotional obstacles and regaining a sense of fulfillment in your life. While painful at times, I do believe the journey of therapy is the one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself, and successes of all sizes are meant to be celebrated.
My approach to therapy is centered on helping people deepen their understanding of themselves, improve relationships with others, and relieve emotional pain. I take an evidence-based, integrative approach to therapy. While I do pull from multiple treatment modalities during counseling, several themes tend to commonly emerge during the course of therapy with me. Some of these themes include building healthier self-esteem/self-image, examining relationship experiences, processing the impact of trauma and/or systemic oppression, and increasing self-compassion. I engage in therapy in a very collaborative way that aims to increase key insights and self-awareness in order to create meaningful changes in a person’s life.
Some Common Reasons People Choose to Work with Me for Therapy:
Anxiety
Anxiety is often characterized as excessive feelings of stress, doubts, or worries. It can manifest in a variety of ways, including racing thoughts, physical tension, an overwhelming sense of fear/lack of safety, panic attacks, symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder, and more. I work with people to understand where their anxiety is coming from and what types of factors may be perpetuating it. We then actively work to address specific symptoms of anxiety, while also working holistically to treat underlying factors.
Men’s Issues
Men may face a variety issues impacting their mental health, including relationship/intimacy concerns, significant life transitions, fatherhood + other relational roles/responsibilities, depression, anxiety, grief, and more. I work collaboratively with men to develop more insight into underlying causes for mental health concerns and find concrete solutions they can apply to live a more fulfilling life.
Relationship Concerns
Our relationships play a key role in our overall well-being and mental health. Relationship struggles with your significant other, family, friends, or co-workers can lead to increases in stress and other mental health symptoms. I work with people to address specific relationship concerns, understand their own relational patterns/habits, and develop healthier and more secure relationship styles in a way that is congruent with their values and sense of self. I believe that by forming and maintaining healthy relationships, people can lead a more fulfilling and happier life.
Family of Origin Stressors
Family of origin refers to the family you grew up with. These relationships often play a significant role in who we become as adults, as those relationships serve as our first models for how to communicate, process/express emotions, and develop core values. Some people have specific concerns related to relationships with their parents/guardians, siblings, or other close family members they hope to address in therapy. For others, it may be helpful to explore family of origin dynamics as a way to more fully understand themselves and provide a richer context to the reasons they started counseling. I often find that working with people to understand relevant aspects of their family of origin is useful for creating and maintaining meaningful change in their lives.
Depression
Depression is a common, yet emotionally painful experience many people go through. It can include symptoms like low self-esteem, hopelessness, loss of enjoyment in life, relationship struggles, suicidal thoughts, fatigue, low motivation, substance abuse and more. One of the hardest parts of depression can be a sense of being in it alone and without any hope for things to improve. I work with people to understand underlying causes and maintenance factors that may be contributing to ongoing feelings of depression. We can then use these insights to formulate specific goals and strategies to alleviate depressive symptoms and build self-compassion.
Growth with Self-Esteem/Self-Image
Self-esteem and self-image refer to the way in which we feel, see, and think about ourselves. They can impact areas such as confidence, compassion, and self-worth. Low self-esteem or a negative self-image can increase feelings of shame, guilt, and doubt. I work with people to create a more balanced, healthier sense of self that I believe is important to reaching their potential and leading a more fulfilling life.
Parenting Stressors
Having children is often a very meaningful and happy experience for most people. However, there are some unique stressors that parents may experience throughout their child’s life. Some of these stressors may include developing a new identity as a parent, struggling to balance your own needs with the needs of your children, balancing changes to your lifestyle, finding a work/family balance, experiencing more stress/arguments with your significant other, and having difficulty understanding or connecting with your children. Struggling to have children or coping with infertility issues can also be significant stressors. I work with people to learn how to realistically manage these challenges and increase their sense of self-compassion around their emotions. I also work to provide effective parenting strategies and support as needed.
Identity Development
Developing a healthy sense of your identity is a crucial part of mental health well-being. Parts of your identity may include race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, social class, religion, and many, many others. Exploring and developing various aspects of your identity throughout your life is very normal, but it can be a challenging and, at times, emotionally painful process, particularly when you have experienced systemic oppression, chronic discrimination, and/or marginalization based on one or multiple facets of your identity. I work hard to provide a space for people to explore and challenge themselves with the development of their identity by establishing a safe, validating, and understanding environment that honors a person’s unique context. My practice is a LGBTQ+ safe space.
Stage of Life Adjustments/Stressors
We all encounter a number of changes throughout our life that can be challenging to cope with. Even good changes (such as starting a new job, moving, getting married, having children) can be stressful. Other major life transitions like break-ups, divorce, the loss of a loved one, retirement, or becoming an “empty-nester” can be accompanied by emotional stressors. When we struggle to effectively cope with these changes, it can impact our functioning, relationships, and mental health well-being. I help people process underlying emotions during times of change and develop new paths on which to move forward.
Young Adult/Young Professional Issues
Young adults and young professionals face a number of challenging life transitions and significant life milestones that may be helpful to address in counseling. Transitioning from adolescence, moving away from home, choosing/establishing a career path, navigating financial stressors, establishing long-term romantic relationships, and becoming a first-time parent are just some of the potentially stressful experiences people may have during young adulthood. Many people also explore more of their identity and challenge belief systems they were taught during childhood at this stage of life. I provide a safe space to process these experiences, and I work to help people find a sense of direction that feels congruent with their values and self-concept.
Trauma + Complex PTSD
Experiences of trauma (whether from a single traumatic incident or repeated experiences over a period of time) can have a significant impact on psychological functioning and mental health. Some mental health struggles associated with trauma include intense depression, thoughts of suicide or self-harm, a negatively distorted self-image, low self-compassion, difficulties with interpersonal relationships, and challenges with emotion regulation. Traumatic experiences can take many forms, including physical abuse, domestic violence, sexual abuse, and emotional abuse or neglect. Experiencing systemic oppression, marginalization, and discrimination are also traumatic experiences that can significantly impact a person’s mental health. Often times, I find that the psychology field overpathologizes individuals who have experienced significant and/or chronic trauma. I work hard to create a safe, non-judgmental space that allows people to explore and restructure the emotions and narrative around negative life experiences in a way that promotes more self-compassion, improves relationships, and leads to a healthier self-concept.