Geisinger Therapists in 15232

Currently accepting new clients! You don't remember a time when you didn't feel "other". You have spent a lifetime navigating a world that doesn't seem to have a place for you, and it has made it immensely difficult to show up as your authentic self. You've never had a safe space to explore your identity in a way that allows you to bring ALL of your "stuff" to the table. Constantly analyzing your physical and emotional safety to do so has made it too exhausting to get to that next level even when you're finally able to determine it's safe. I want you to bring ALL of you in here. I want THIS to be that space for you, finally.

Currently accepting new clients! Being able to connect with a therapist is hard. Really hard. Especially if you are part of the LGBTQIA+ community. Am I right? Feeling "other" has become so normal that we often don't even realize we are merely surviving because we don't know there's another way to exist. Stress, shame, and all of the other emotions swirling around create a tornado that is hard to get out of. That's where I come in. I'm a LGBTQIA+, relationship (i.e. CNM), and culturally affirming therapist with lived experience as a queer woman with a trans partner, as well as assisted reproduction and gender-expansive parenting.

Now accepting new clients! As a person-centered therapist, I believe there is potential to help anyone interested in working with me regardless of their reasons for coming to therapy. That being said, I enjoy working with folks who struggle with anxiety, gender and sexual identities, neurodivergence, self-concept or self-worth, complex and religious trauma, relationship issues, and grief. I am an LGBTQIA+ and relationship-affirming therapist and I'm very passionate about working with people in marginalized groups. I believe that everyone needs a therapist who can listen with compassion and understanding.

Currently accepting new clients! You are feeling misunderstood and overwhelmed. You feel "other". And our current social and political climate is exacerbating it. You feel like no one gets it. You have such a hard time trusting people, so the idea of taking the first step to start therapy is terrifying. You don't feel like yourself anymore, and sometimes you wonder what that even means. You feel shame. You feel like you simply "don't have time for therapy", but also know you can't continue like you have been. You want to feel more grounded, balanced, and resilient. But you have no idea how to get there.

Barbara Thomas is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) who has 6 years of experience working with children, adolescents, couples, and families seeking help with depression, anxiety, relationship issues, and family/life transitions. Additionally, Barbara has experience working with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), trauma, grief and loss, and multigenerational family patterns. Barbara completed her Bachelor of Science (BS) in Psychology at Pennsylvania State University and her Master of Science (MS) in Marriage and Family Therapy at Seton Hall University.

Now accepting new clients! You can no longer show up "in parts" and compartmentalize your life based on everyone else's comfort. It's bullsh!t and you know it. You've hit a wall but have no idea where to even start. You can't wait 7 sessions to assess whether or not THIS is the time that you can FULLY unload the things that weigh you down and keep you up at night full of shame, fear, and anger. You don't have that kind of time. And you definitely don't have the capacity. You're ready to dive in and do the work, but need to feel safe. This can be that space for you. Where you can finally grow, as a whole human, rather than in parts.

You're finding yourself spiraling into the abyss inside of your mind. Your anger seems to go from 0-100 out of no where. You feel like there is velcro sticking between you and your bed, and your limbs feel heavy as you manage to get through each day. You're absolutely exhausted from all of the "masking" you have to do to get through and "be a normal person". You're tired of not showing up in the way that you want to. You're tired of not being able to be authentic, and sometimes struggle to know what that even means for you. It all seems like too much to attempt to figure out on your own. So you just... don't.

Open Space CCW is a LGBTQIA+ competent, relationship minority affirming, and social justice-oriented practice. Our goal is to eliminate fear of judgement as a barrier to personal growth and wellness. We help people move from merely surviving their lives—to truly thriving. FINALLY. We want people to walk in and feel—in their gut—genuinely welcomed with open arms and open minds. We want people to finally LET GO of the things that have been weighing them down—unabashedly and without hesitation. Our clinicians show up authentically, so that you feel like you can, too. NOTHING is off limits around here. We are holding this space for you.

Accepting new clients! You're exhausted from not feeling worthy of the space you occupy. You're tired of holding everything in, and terrified to be your authentic self. You're a WHOLE person... not a symptom that needs to be cured. You've never been able to truly process all of the big emotions and 'stuff' you carry around because they have either been 'too much' or minimized. Or, shame has held you back. But it's becoming too heavy to carry on your own. With a little work and support, it IS possible to strip them of their power.

You are someone who is fed-up, tired and a little pissed off about feeling stuck. In your emotions, in your trauma, in a relationship, in a job that you hate, in a body that you hate... I want to help you attend to yourself, process and move forward from that which no longer serves or nourishes you. You don’t want to feel as though you’re simply going through the motions, but that you can find meaning and enjoyment in your existence. I am passionate about helping others become the version of themselves they feel proud to show off and show up for. I am a LGBTQIA+ affirming and racial-justice oriented therapist.

You're tired of feeling like your experiences are minimized and being told you're "using it as an excuse." You're mentally and physically exhausted from always feeling "other". You want to FINALLY be able to open up and talk about ALL of the pieces of your life because you can't continue carrying all of this shit around, but you're terrified of being judged. You know you engage in unhealthy patterns of behavior and self-talk, but you just can't seem to stop. You have "checked off the box" that you're "in therapy" in the past, but you need to do something different this time.

It's extremely isolating trying to manage everything you are dealing with. No one gets it, even though they say they do, which is infuriating and only makes you feel more isolated. You are becoming a pressure cooker and can't continue to hold it all on your own, but you have no idea where to start. (And "starting" sounds terrifying in and of itself.) "Avoiding" has been the route you take, but it's becoming harder and harder to keep things from coming to the surface. You need a safe, nonjudgmental space where you can FINALLY let it ALL out, not just the parts that feel most comfortable. This can be that place.

We live in a world that caters to the neurotypical person, and you are really starting to feel the impact of that after years of working against it. You've tried so hard to "fit in" and hold yourself to the same standard as those around you, but you keep "failing". And all it's done is filled you with shame and left you feeling even more exhausted. Your multiple intersecting identities make this even more difficult, and sometimes you're not sure what's actually impacting things the most and where to start. You need a safe space to really dive in, and that in and of itself has been so difficult to find.

Accepting new clients! You feel like you have had your power and your voice taken away for your entire life. You are exhausted from not being seen as a human first. You are about to explode from so many years of hiding who you are, who you love, and what is pissing you off. You are ready to step into your power, but you have no idea how to start. Or maybe you do, but you need someone supporting you as you navigate all of the complex, heavy sh!t that is about to unfold. I want you to know that I see beyond your struggles and past choices. I want to empower you to embrace your entire self (yes, your ENTIRE self). You can do that here.

Accepting new clients! You are SO damn tired of playing "the pronoun game" or pretending your other partner is your roommate (they're not). Just once, you want to walk into a room without a question in your mind about whether or not you will be judged. You're exhausted from waiting to see how others will react. You've never been able to FULLY dive into therapy because there's a whole bucket of shit that you don't think anyone would understand. Holding onto the shame is suffocating you, and you just want to find some relief. You want to feel like you are truly thriving in this life instead of merely surviving your way through it.

Between what society and those around you say, you constantly feel like you are not enough. You are feeling lost in the world and so badly want to feel grounded for once, but have no idea where to start or where it's even safe to begin navigating that. What you are experiencing is so multi-layered that it leaves you feeling stuck. My passion is helping other people to truly find themselves by unraveling layers of trauma, societal expectations, and negativity imposed by others. I want to help you figure out how to be truly, wholly yourself and live a life that encompasses your values and beliefs.

You just want to know that you can walk into a room and don't have to play the "pronoun game", pretend you only have one partner, or have to listen to someone minimize your relationship, sexuality, or gender dysphoria. I am here, above all, to be your biggest advocate. I aim to create a radically accepting space to confront, question, and explore what makes you who you are. I’m not afraid to talk about the hard things. Sex, intimacy, relationships, trauma… This is your space to let it all out. Everyone is welcome here. Judgement isn't tolerated. Arriving with your real, raw, and heavy baggage is celebrated.

Vulnerability. It's a word that sounds all motivating and "Hell yeah!" when Brene Brown talks about it, but when it comes to actually DOING it, it terrifies you. In order to get to the root of what's causing your discomfort, I'm going to ask you to get vulnerable. I'm going to ask you to share your story (no, the real story) with me. But you don't have to do it alone. I want to help you move from SURVIVING to THRIVING. I want you to FINALLY start living the life you've imagined. It doesn't have to be "someday". It can be now. And I can help.

You are so tired of merely existing. You want to find self-acceptance, but sometimes you struggle with knowing what that "self" even is. You feel like you don't belong anywhere and that everyone around you has abandoned you. You feel like you are doing all of this alone. You are in pain and no one around you even knows, because you refuse to let them see it. Or you don't want to be a burden. But you know deep down you can't keep going like this, because you're a pressure cooker and you just need some relief. Or some guidance. Or SOMEthing. You may feel like you face rejection everywhere... but not here.