Emotionally Focused Therapists in Grand Traverse County, MI

As a client-centered therapist, I believe you are the expert in your own life. I consider it to be a privilege and blessing to be a part of your journey to find fulfillment in your life. I work from a holistic framework, holding the central hypothesis that every person has the innate potential for personal awareness and growth. I strive to maintain the creative and dynamic process of therapy utilizing theory and interventions from multiple models of therapy. I am committed to creating a therapeutic environment based on collaboration, action-oriented interventions, skill building and honest, supportive feedback.

Welcome! Are you ready to unburden from ingrained patterns, heal trauma wounds, and welcome joy, connectedness, and wonderment into your life? I can help. I'm an attachment-focused and trauma-informed psychotherapist with a curious mind, open heart, and hearty sense of humor. I believe that therapy should feel nourishing and meaningful - and the effects should be transformative. As a Narrative, Mindfulness, Sandtray, and IFS trained therapist, I helps clients “re-author” their lives — often using experiential and expressive arts activities or guided ‘parts’ exercises in order to make space for new ways of thinking and understanding.

I am a strength based therapist. You are the author of your story. I consider it an honor to help people on their journeys and reframe what keeps people from being their best selves. It isn't about surviving, it is about thriving. I work with many different people from age 18 to 60. I have worked with first responders, people that work in the healthcare field, and other therapists. I also work with families facing crisis and/or illnesses. When working with teens and their families, understanding what is normal behavior and what isn't while supporting everyone has worked with many families.

Perhaps you are at a crossroads in life and are struggling to find your path. You are a perfectionist with high achieving tendencies however, feel unable to calm your anxiety, depression, or negative self-talk. Your successes are undermined by a voice in your head stating, “I don’t think I’m good enough or I don’t have anything left to give.” You have successfully navigated many of life’s difficult decisions yet, your self-esteem and confidence are holding you back.

I enjoy working with children, teens, adults, and their families. I offer individual, couples, and family therapy. Finding a good "fit" with a therapist can be challenging. I strive to quickly put clients at ease and provide a safe space where we can work together to identify your strengths and skills, process significant life events, communicate your feelings, develop positive coping strategies, and provide support. My passion is to help each client discover their unique strengths in addressing their concerns, no matter their age. If you are seeking services please contact me via email.

My personal motto is "No mud. No lotus." To me, this means, without suffering there cannot be beauty. My entire life I have been fascinated with resilience- the ability to overcome. What makes people stronger when they they have faced so much adversity? I started my career focused on how to help people become more resilient, and along the way I have learned so much, not just about overcoming obstacles, but also about building up strengths.

We can get stuck in unhealthy relational patterns with ourselves and others that impact our mood and sense of self. We fear disconnection, rejection, and loneliness. What we desire is to be heard, known, and valued by others. What I hope to provide is a space and partner to acknowledge and express our needs, understand our roles, set boundaries with others, and feel safe and secure in ourselves. Together we can foster a deeper understanding of yourself and provide tools to help cope with life's challenges.

Welcome! I'm Elizabeth. I have 20+ yrs of experience in mental health. I am highly effective working with individuals and couples, whether you are a young adult struggling with anxiety or a retiree adjusting to the next phase of life. I help couples navigate communication issues, parenting, infidelity. During our sessions, we will delve deeply into the issues at hand and collaborate to create a plan for addressing them in a way that helps you improve your quality of life, relationships and daily functioning. Most of my clients see a marked lifting of symptoms within the 1st month and progressive improvement thereafter.

Kari is now accepting children ages 6+ for in-person therapy and 15+ for telehealth or in-person. Kari believes that people are innately driven to achieve wholeness. Encouraging clients to actively listen to their minds and bodies, Kari creates a warm atmosphere of safety. She supports clients as they do the transformative work of identifying their growth areas and empowering their curiosities.

I am licensed in Michigan with 20 years of counseling experience. I have worked to help people cope with stress, anxiety, depression, PTSD, C-PTSD, trauma and abuse as well as attachment and intimacy related issues. I have had the privilege of working with a wide variety of people with various racial and ethnic backgrounds, as well as those in the LGBTQ+ community. I believe in a strength-based and resilience-informed approach to therapy.

You are taking a courageous first step towards finding relief and feeling like yourself again. I believe through a safe and supporting relationship, healing and growth can happen. I am specialized in areas around women's health and mental health experiences, including perinatal wellness( pregnancy, birth and postpartum), attachment, anxiety, trauma, grief and loss. Parenthood and the path to parenthood releases symptoms we never expected, and old wounds that we never thought would surface and rupture. I believe mental health is your intrinsic right. You deserve to be seen, to be heard, and to be well.

I believe that all humans are innately driven to seek balance and congruence, and that when this drive is disrupted, whether it be due to emotional difficulties, relational stressors, or other life changes, we begin to suffer. It is my privilege to accompany my clients in their process of establishing balance and integration, ultimately achieving a sense of wholeness and security. I recognize that sometimes talk therapy isn't enough so I use a variety of additional therapies, including EMDR, which facilitate change by reprocessing emotionally-charged memories or experiences that often show up as physical sensations in the body.

Do you find yourself struggling with depression, anxiety, grief, or adjusting to challenging life circumstances? As your therapist with nearly two decades of experience, I am here to provide dedicated support tailored to your unique needs. My specialization lies in assisting women of all ages, particularly those navigating issues related to feeling they have lost themselves somewhere along their journey. I help individuals like you discover strength, resilience, and fulfillment because we all want to look back without regrets.

Are you a person or couple whose life looks “good” from the outside, and yet it still feels like something is missing? You’ve accomplished a lot in life, but don’t feel the sense of fulfillment you expected. A big life change—maybe a breakup, new job, new marriage, change in family dynamic, or move—has highlighted the fact that you’re still not as happy or content as you want to be. Something is telling you that you need to make a shift (even if you’re not quite sure what it is). You want to gain deeper insight into yourself & your past experiences, and you’re ready to change your “default setting” and start creating new patterns.

I employ a diverse approach to therapy based on my knowledge of psychological philosophies and techniques in conjunction with the personality and needs of each client.

If your relationship feels stuck, I will help you identify & change harmful patterns before you feel hopeless. We'll build on your strengths and history. Afraid of replicating your parents' marriage? We'll explore your fears, improve communication, & work toward more effective solutions. Plan to move in together? Get married? Change jobs? Have a baby? I can help you prepare now for the typical (& your unique) stressors that come with those changes instead of feeling blindsided by them & trying to pick up the broken pieces later. Communication, intimacy, & sexual satisfaction can all be strengthened with some intention & time.

We believe every person deserves to feel, heal, and evolve. In the context of warm, authentic relationships, we provide therapy based on social science research: treatments that have been proven to help people find real solutions to real problems. In our practice clients are accepted whole-heartedly and become the hero of their own stories. We provide a safe environment, affirming relationships, and science-based therapy. Clients are empowered to make meaning from trauma, compassionately reclaim their relationship with their bodies, and conquer phobias, anxiety, and depression.

Counseling is a relationship in which I support clients to find stability, joy and meaning in the midst of life's challenges. I am passionate about working with children and their caregivers. Common struggles I work on with clients include coping skills, behavioral issues, behavioral regulation and communication skills. All children are welcome including those who have autism/neurodivergent, trauma, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, emotional dysregulation, and other challenges. I provide an understanding space in which to collaborate with caregivers to support their children.

My work with children and families is based on building safe, supportive relationships. I carefully consider individual, couple and family strengths and needs, providing therapeutic direction based upon this. A combination of child development, mindfulness, and family systems informs my work. I use play therapy, sandtray, narrative-storytelling tools, practical skill building, arts, and parent coaching in my practice. The power of relationships and the recognition of one's strengths are emphasized throughout our work together.