Culturally Sensitive Therapists in Broome County, NY

Are you overwhelmed? Are you consumed by grief? Are you struggling to make it through each day? Do you often find yourself feeling guilty, depressed, resentful, angry, hurt, or lonely? Thoughts,emotions and memories make up a large part of who we are, and if we have been traumatized, damaged, or broken, we may isolate and become trapped inside. A heart can heal and a spirit can recover with compassion and understanding. I will be honored to work with you toward your healing.

I offer Compassion Focused Therapy, utilizing Motivational Interviewing, Strengths-based Approach, Validation techniques, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

I appreciate working with motivated and insightful individuals who are wanting to work on how their past experiences impacts their present functioning, emotionally, functionally, and existentially. I realize often this takes building trust and I also respect progressing at your own pace.

I have been doing counseling and psychotherapy for over thirty years. I enjoy working with individuals and will include their significant others, including spouse, partners, family members, friends and (yes) pets. As I see it, my job as a therapist is to work with you to create an environment in which you will feel emotionally safe, and one in which you can feel OK talking about all aspects of yourself. This allows us to use your personal strengths and resources to resolve your difficultes so you can become more like the person you want to be.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 12 years experience working with adults, couples, adolescents and children. I work with individuals and couples to help them work toward becoming the best they can become using a variety of therapeutic strategies and strive to find the most effective ones for the client. My experience includes working with clients who are struggling with depression, anxiety, self esteem issues and problems in relationships.

Living in an increasingly complicated world with seemingly unlimited choices about “the right way to be” can lead us to feel lost, alienated, and overwhelmed. Looking inwardly at our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors can be confusing and challenging. My goal is to help you to be able to see yourself openly, honestly, and without judgment in order to heal and grow. From this vantage point, we can work together to develop clear goals and construct a caring path for change.

As a couples therapist who has received training from experts John & Julie Gottman, I help couples understand conflict: what conflict is as a natural occurrence and that while conflict between them may seem perpetual, it does not have to be a guarantee for separation. My role in treating a couple is to equip them with concepts & tools that help turn conflict into insight & to view conflict as a unique means to come closer to one another's feelings and experiences with vulnerability & friendship. Each person brings a unique set of life experiences, together we treat the wounds and address the needs of the relationship.

As a person who struggles with day to day stress, you feel tired everyday. It seems you have tried everything but nothing works. Do you feel the same scene playing out in your life over and over again, but you have the inability to change the script? Do you feel powerless in managing intolerable feelings and even more consumed in trying to figure out why you feel this way? My belief is that trauma is the root cause. Most trauma generates from a past or current relationship and can be healed. Even the most severe trauma can be healed.

I have experience working with adults and children, specializing in trauma work, anxiety, depression, loss, adjustment/transitions including immigration issues. I have taught Master level clinical courses, worked with victims and perpetrators of domestic abuse and with client's and families dealing with end-of-life issues and loss. I also have training in and have responded to community crisis/ emergencies such as flooding and mass shootings.

The Bridge Therapy's mental health practice understands the desire for privacy and the assurances we all need when we reach out for help. Our professional services are direct, client centered and treatment-focused. We feel confident that they are the type of services that can help folks get better as they are getting well. I believe that a person’s innate self-healing is cultivated and activated by relationships, resources, dialogue, respect, and care. My belief is that personal healing and success can mean life doesn’t always feel that hard, that it may feel easier, and that some comfort and relief might be felt.

I believe finding the right counselor to walk alongside you on you're very personal journey is most important especially when you are struggling or hurting. I welcome you with safety, warmth, care and compassion. I assure you my absolute dedication and commitment in helping you meet your needs. Together, we will find the root of symptoms not only for relief but resolution and restoration allowing you to move forward with a life of renewed freedom. Come as you are and lets walk together.

Accepting new patients! As a mental health counselor, I work with individuals, couples & families. Difficulty coping with feelings of anxiety, depression, mood/personality disorders, stress, anger management, or interpersonal challenges? While working together we can use techniques to help achieve a greater insight and work through these challenges. My experience includes working with a variety of techniques that include, cognitive behavioral, exposure response prevention, and mindfulness based orientation; this helps to promote self-awareness and adaptive coping skills. I am currently being trained in virtual reality therapy.

I promote a welcoming and healing environment. The space between me & you is free from judgment and directed by what you think & feel is the best route for your own healing & evolution.

I’m Lesley Lopez (She/Her) - a licensed mental health counselor with a passion for building genuine, meaningful relationships with my clients. I specialize in working with BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ individuals as well as multicultural issues, trauma history, relationship issues, undergraduate and graduate school issues and career counseling. Working for 5 years at BU,I have helped students address struggles with anxiety, depression, self-esteem, self-care, academic and athletic performance, ADHD, issues with identity and more. I have also worked to support transgender students with both their identity journey and gender-affirmation steps.

As a Black femme, disabled, poly, LGBTQ person I have firsthand experience navigating the difficulty finding a therapist who can understand those intersections. Therapists need to recognize familial,interpersonal and systemic issues that can make achieving one’s goals challenging. We all deserve support through life's transitions. Whether you are navigating grief or unpacking a life filled with trauma, the goal is to determine what kind of life you want to live and then the necessary steps to get you there. Peace, love and belonging are attainable with the right tools. I foster a responsible space where you can feel seen and heard.

Accepting new clients! I offer compassionate and professional counseling services centered around trauma-informed care, tailored to support individuals managing symptoms of anxiety, depression, and various forms of trauma. My approach prioritizes the individual's needs, focusing on identity exploration, life transitions, and overall well-being enhancement. Creating a safe, nonjudgmental space is integral to my practice. I believe in empowering clients to direct their counseling journey, fostering self-advocacy and empowerment throughout our sessions.

I work with clients of all ages and backgrounds. My goal is to help individuals and families regain a feeling of hope. Life can get better and I can help them get there. My background includes working in clinics, schools, nursing homes, and retirement communities. I incorporate a variety of skills to meet each individual/family's specific needs. My experience and training allow me to work with grief, trauma, ADHD, anxiety, depression, developmental stages, transitions, LGBTQ+ community members, diverse populations, coping with illness, and more.

Life can feel deeply overwhelming and struggles at times seem insurmountable. Grief, depression, anxiety, outside expectations, and other mental health challenges can make it difficult to identify and experience life's joys. I seek to serve people who have been marginalized/othered or felt uncomfortable with traditional therapy: People who identify as LGBTQIA, BIPOC, polyamorous individuals/families, people living with physical, intellectual, or developmental disability, and those living with chronic and severe mental illness.

Therapy can be a transformational process of self-discovery facilitated by deeper levels of awareness and change. I believe we have an inherent ability to heal ourselves, and my primary focus is to honor and trust your experience. Anxiety, depression, trauma, and other life stressors can interfere with living a fulfilling life, causing problems in your life and relationships, and leaving you feeling overwhelmed, anxious, depressed, lost or numb. I believe that therapy should meet the individual where they are within their unique set of circumstances.