I’ve died a thousand deaths, each time reinventing myself brighter, stronger, and purer than before. From the midst of destruction, I became the creator of myself. From the midst of darkness, I became my own source of light.
- Cristen Rodgers
Does this resonate?
A little...or maybe something deep within just rattled and was given space to imagine this as a possibility. I’m sure you’ve done your research and maybe even came here therapeutically savvy from experience. You are skimming the page for those infamous buzz words: “anxiety” “depression” “trauma.” Or maybe you have an affinity for the more upbeat terms like “mindfulness” “interventions” “coping tools” “solution-focused.” One of these will easily guide you to a cookie cutter regimen for why life is not aligning with how you feel inside.
I am happy to tell you, there are no cookie cutter approaches here. Although those words can give the most basic impression of how you experience life and/or what you are in search of, they do little to no good when it comes to understanding how you came to land on this site and how I can be of service to you.
Let me offer an example.
Let’s use the word “kitchen.” Most of us can agree it is a fairly common word, and have one or, at the very least, have seen one. So it should be a fair assumption that we have the same definition of kitchen. But what happens if I ask five different people to outline this “kitchen” we all have in mind? Better, let’s draw it.
How many of these kitchens would look the same?
Likely, none.
Here’s why: although we all share the same basic concepts as it relates to the word “kitchen,” our histories and experiences will inevitably shape how we’ve come to define OUR kitchen. Maybe you were raised in New York where kitchens may also be bedrooms. Or you grew up in Texas where kitchens house islands and multiple seating options. Maybe you love to cook and detail each pot, dish, and cooking utensil. Or use it as extra storage space. However you contextualize your kitchen stems from your intimate history and experiences in relation to them.
So what does this mean as it relates to starting therapy?
It means simply presenting a list of problems is unlikely to be the most helpful approach in determining whether we are a good fit.
What will let both of us know if you are in the right place is whether or not you are ready to be held and nurtured while also being gently nudged and encouraged to sit in the “feels” instead of running from them.
This will not be the therapy that allows you to produce weekly hour-long monologues nor will it give you standardized homework assignments. This is the therapy for those who are ready to look within and answer some questions that may have been too dangerous or taboo to even consider previous to now.
This is the therapy for those who want an active therapist who is immensely curious in knowing YOU. I ask A LOT of questions and interrupt or slow things down to snail’s pace. All of which are done with compassion and intention because I want to see you. I get in the trenches, roll up my sleeves, and do the dirty work right alongside you every step of the way. While I’m confident in my areas of expertise, you are the expert of your experiences, which means that this is a collaborative effort that looks different from therapeutic relationship to therapeutic relationship.