Gender Identity and Transgender Counseling

We all deserve to be seen and heard as who we are. If you are looking for support in being able to live life and express yourself in alignment with your gender identity, then I can help. It is important to have a safe and supportive space for self-discovery as you navigate your gender identity and cope with the many discriminatory hardships that can come along with that experience. If desired, I can also help people work with their family members and loved ones to bridge the emotional gaps and misunderstandings connected with gender identity and sexuality.

Grief

Are you being told that you should be “getting over” or “moving past” your grief, but the grief is still with you and you are wondering if you’re doing something wrong? Know that there is another path. The grief we feel when we lose a loved one stays with us, it becomes part of who we are, but it does not have to define who we are and how we live our lives. I work with people experiencing loss and grief, in particular individuals experiencing anticipatory grief. Anticipatory grief, such as living with a loved one who is in the process of dying due to Alzheimer’s, cancer or other medical conditions, is complex and multi-leveled. You deserve to have a space filled with empathy, safety, kindness and patience as you work with the varying emotions associated with grief.

Intimate Partner Abuse

It is not easy to say you were or are being abused by an intimate partner. Saying that out loud, even to one’s self, can fill us with so many complex emotions. It common for survivors of abuse to be made to feel shame and guilt, as if there is something wrong with you that you were being abused. Nobody deserves or asks to be abused. I work with people who have been or are currently being bused by an intimate partner to help with recovery from these painful false beliefs. I provide patience and support as you do your best to live in very challenging circumstances with your abusive partner. I help people to rediscover themselves and develop self-esteem so you can distinguish the abusive behaviors of you partner as separate from your own identity. I also help people to undo the negative internalized messages that stem from the abuse and help you to recreate a narrative that allows you to thrive and grow as a person.

Couples Therapy

Relationships are beautiful is so many ways. We as human beings thrive on being social and connected with one another. But in that beauty, there can be complexities or obstacles that can challenge a relationship such as infidelity, trauma, family of origin histories, anticipated or unexpected transitional life moments, etc. I work with couples to navigate such challenges and help regain the beauty in their relationship that brought them together at the beginning.