Therapists in West Chester, PA

Hello! I am here to help you heal and grow. I utilize psychoeducation, cognitive behavioral therapy and work with you to create a clear treatment plan to help you determine your goals. I provide telehealth counseling services to children, teens, adults and families. I specialize working with Neurodiverse individuals as well as a variety of other challenges including anxiety, depression and trauma throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania. I have experience and passion working with the LGBTQ communities.

I am a psychotherapist and music therapist. I enjoy working with kids, teens, and adults of all ages. I approach therapy from an anti-oppressive and systems perspective, meaning that my primary lens seeks to understand systemic barriers and discriminatory cultural contexts that impact the well-being of those I work with. I am well positioned to work with folks who are LGBTQIA+ and/or inhabit non-traditional family/relationship structures. I have many years of experience working with folks who are grieving, chronically/terminally ill, autistic, depressed, anxious, and folks who have experienced trauma.

Thank you for visiting my profile. Whether you are coping with a loss, trying to manage depression and/or anxiety, struggling with addiction, or just juggling life’s transitions, therapy is a great first step to gaining insight into making positive and long-lasting changes. Do you want to work on self-esteem, identity, relationships, and/or motivation? Working with a therapist can help you discover new strengths and create new paths.

Everyone deserves a safe space to be heard, seen and supported. It is my intention to create such a space. I understand that life is messy and I will work with you to solve life's challenges as they arise.

It is with sincere gratitude and warm greetings that I welcome you! My name is Michelle Varra-White. Inspired by authentic connection, kindness, vulnerability, humor, and joy, I strive to collaborate with you in creating a brave, non-judgmental space where you can be curious and explore your healing journey, which is often times the hardest to start alone. I consider it a privilege to hold your confidence and as such I honor your self determination to choose the therapeutic vibe that is right for you. I also pay much attention to the healing pace, while being aware of when immediate relief is needed.

We all deserve to be heard, connected with, and loved authentically--there are so many of us who feel like we aren't seen for who we are, whether its because we feel held back by past struggles or we're still trying to learn who we want to be. I want to hear your story and help you finally feel seen. I'm here to create a safe space so you can bring what you need to our session. Therapy is a place to laugh, cry, explore, and overcome. We can do that together through empathy and person-centered work, where I meet you where you are and help you find the growth and change you're looking for.

My clients present a spectrum of needs including navigating substance use, relational distress, chronic health issues, and productivity burnout. Often I assist clients interested in exploring impacts of capitalism, social disenfranchisement, and unhelpful narratives that can create negative self-talk, feelings of hopelessness, and existential anxiety. I identify as part of the queer community and work to support LGBTQIA clients in connecting to community, establishing boundaries, and exploring internalized messages that can impact self-esteem, communication skills, and destructive patterns.

My clients are dreaming of a better world but feel stuck in a world that is causing them great pain. They are passionate about change, both for themself and for the world around them, but might not know where or how to start. If this sounds like you, I want to offer you support in figuring out what change can even look like and how to reach towards it. I can't offer you "the answers" but I can offer you my belief in your ability to change yourself and your world, if you choose it. I view this change process as starting with self, connecting with community, and finally engaging in systems change.

I remember my own experience meeting my new therapist. I was anxious to talk to a new person. I did not know if I would make sense. I did not want to feel judged. I remember feeling lost and hopeless. The only thing I knew was that I wanted to change the bad feelings and I resisted to believe that there was something wrong with me. I wanted someone who could guide me to understand my world and myself. I wanted a safe space. I needed to find someone who could collaborate with me in changing and resisting. I did not want a therapist who treated me as a study object. I just wanted to feel fully human.

I feel that every client, along with their family or loved ones, processes and copes with adversity, trauma, and mental health issues differently. It is important that I build a strong, therapeutic rapport with my clients in order to create a more comfortable environment for vulnerability. Through building a therapeutic relationship based on mutual empathy and rapport, healing and working through difficult issues can happen! Working with the LGBTQIA+ identifying community is a huge passion of mine, including community outreach. You are safe and loved here, regardless of who you are, how you identify, where you come from.

My therapeutic approach focuses on addressing the ways external factors, namely the client’s environment, experiences, relationships and prior traumas have contributed to their current state. Given the world we live in I bring considerable attention to the ways that systems of oppression play a role in the client’s wellbeing. I believe that having an understanding of how these factors are impacting our mental health is integral to healing. As we work on building this awareness we can start making intentional choices more in line with the lives we would like to be living.

Healing happens relationally–within our communities, our families, and within ourselves. Therapy works best if we can build a safe and trusting relationship, so you should know a little bit about who I am! I am a white, queer and trans femme musician turned therapist. I am areligious, but I find many experiences to be deeply spiritual, including cooking, being in community with others, singing together, and walking in nature. Folks who do well with me don't fit the status quo, are navigating transitions, are noticing patterns in their relationships they want to examine and change, and are in search of healing and transformation.

Hannah earned their master's degree from New York University in Applied Psychology with a focus on Mental Health Counseling and Wellness. Their goal is to shed light on the past to help individuals confront the issues they are currently facing. They guide clients through deepening their connection to themselves by bringing attention to the present moment to find safety in their bodies by using mindfulness practices which include meditation and breath work.

Whether you have a specific issue you want to address, or just know you want something different out of life, therapy can be a great place to explore yourself and begin to make changes. I believe that everyone has the capacity to grow and heal, and I approach therapy as a place to collaborate on bringing out these fundamental abilities in you. Because relationships are deeply meaningful within each person’s life, I specialize in exploring the impact of your relationships — including your relationship yourself — in your life, to help you better understand and care for yourself and those you love.

Now accepting new clients in Pennsylvania! Finding a therapist can be a difficult task. At the Moorestown Therapy Collective we are here to make that task a little easier. Our therapists have your success as their top priority. We offer individual, family, and relationship therapy. We work with each client individually to determine their goals and to find the approach that best suits your needs. We do not believe in a “one-size-fits-all” approach.