Therapy for people-pleasing NeuroDivergent & LGBTQIA+ folx struggling with multiple traumas to break cycles of pain and live free, authentic, joy-filled lives.
“I’ve been to therapy before but it didn’t really work. They didn’t understand. But this IS working, I don’t know, it just clicks and I know I can tell you whatever and you aren’t gonna judge me or take it the wrong way, you really listen.”
Satisfied Clients
I want your experience with therapy to be a positive one. You are entitled to treatment that works for you and addresses the goals that YOU want. It’s your treatment after all! Empowering you to use your voice, we will make treatment goals together and review your progress collaboratively along the way. Want to change your goals? Bring it up! Feel like something isn’t settling the right way? Talk with me about it and we can make a plan to work through it together. The strongest tool that exists in therapy is the relationship between therapist and client that means we can talk about the difficult things in a way that will be helpful, calm, and respectful that, ultimately, will help you heal from the traumas you’ve experienced in relationships before.
Common Experiences
It’s not within our professional ethics as psychotherapists to ask clients for testimonials. I still want you to get a sense of what clients experience when they work with me so here are some snapshots to give you an idea of what to expect.
At least 50% of my clients don’t want to sit and talk all session.
What does this mean?
Don’t feel like sitting across from a stranger and answering question after question session after session? Me either! We have many options of how we spend our time together: collage, painting, drawing, coloring, Sand Tray, writing, mindfulness, guided meditation, play therapy, interacting with my canine therapy partner, Eben, going outside for a walk, etc. Got a new idea of how to spend a session, let me know and we can make a plan to try it out!
Nearly all of the clients I work with are LGBTQIA+.
What does this mean?
Your treatment can be focused on your own goals and not on making sure your therapist understands your identity. Over a decade of clinical work paired with lived experience means you won’t be treated like your identity needs to be proven or justified.
It takes clients some time to get comfortable sharing with a new person.
What does this mean?
It means you’re human! It’s completely normal to be hesitant about starting therapy with someone new, that’s your brain and body doing their job to emotionally protect you. I’m not going to expect you to tell me everything about your life in the first few sessions. You can go at your own pace and slowly start to share more as you become more relaxed and know what to expect during our sessions. Don’t want to spill your guts immediately? No problem, there are many other things we can do in sessions.
Almost every client I work with has experienced trauma(s).
What does this mean?
Aside from traumatic experiences being all too common in our world? It means that a foundational part of my training and my work is based on the assumption that everyone has had some dark moments in their past. Trauma theory isn’t something particular to some clients, it’s relevant in my work with every single person I encounter. Getting a better understanding of what happened to you is crucial in discovering your path toward healing. You do not need to remember everything, or even verbalize the details, but understanding that something bad has happened to you that is not your fault, that’s a necessity to uncover so you can move forward in your life.
Most clients I work with have been in treatment with me for over a year, some for many years.
What does this mean?
My work is rooted in connection and respectful relationships. To do the deep healing work necessary for trauma healing you need to feel safe in the relationship with your therapist and that deepens over time.
Usually, the people that I work with have been to therapy before, either recently or a long time ago.
What does this mean?
Maybe they had a positive experience before, maybe it was quite awful. Either way, clients come to work with me knowing that they need therapy and that finding a therapist who is a good fit is essential to the process.
Not all of my clients are NeuroDivergent but every one benefits from NeuroDivergent Affirming Therapy.
What does this mean?
While NeuroDivervent Affirming Therapy is a specialty of mine, it doesn’t only apply to folx coming to therapy identifying as NeuroDivergent, it’s a foundational component to how I work with clients. I want to understand how your brain works, what connections it makes on its own, what it needs to feel safe and to thrive.
My clients show up with a desire to work on themselves to improve their lives and create a life that is authentic to them.
What does this mean?
Clients I work best with have already made a decision that they want to do what they can to improve their circumstances. They may not know how or what exactly they need to be doing to make these changes a reality, but they know they are ready to start figuring things out. Our work is then to help you discover what it takes to cultivate your very own joy-filed existence.