Therapists in Ypsilanti, MI

Healing is a personal process that is sacred. To be part of that is a great honor. With gratitude, I offer therapy for adults of all ages from the comfort of your own home to start or continue becoming your most favorite version of yourself. Feeling connected to your therapist is of the utmost importance to explore past, present and future you. With intention, I provide a welcoming approach that honors diversity while incorporating traditional and holistic modalities of treatment.

Dedicated to providing high-quality, compassionate care, my professional journey revolves around serving culturally diverse families, exploring racial and ethnic identity complexities, and supporting neurodivergent children and youth. I see clients with a wide range of challenges, ranging from anxiety, depression, and trauma, to executive functioning to parenting. I am currently accepting clients from early childhood to young adulthood both in person and virtually.

Harvard Avenue Counseling Services mission is to provide high end virtual and in person counseling services. Counseling should not be a manufactured service provided by a corporation that sees clients and counselors as numbers to provide profits to shareholders. Harvard Avenue Counseling Services is a small scale high end counseling practice. Our clients and counselors are our main focus and not just a number. I decided to open Harvard Avenue Counseling Services because I saw a huge need for a high quality counseling service that was able to provide attentive personalized care.

I provide an eclectic approach, primarily utilizing behavioral, humanistic, psycho-spiritual, and inner child modalities – with a specialization in complex trauma, shadow work, generational patterns, and the journey to authenticity. My practice is person-centered, meaning that I’m a guide in your exploration of self – I may be nudging and pointing things out, but you, as the client, are ultimately leading where we go. My goal is to enrich and point out the positive traits that you already possess, and offer acknowledgment into aspects of yourself or your circumstances that you maybe haven’t seen yet.

Are you watching your teen struggle with self-esteem through all the pressures kids today face? Has your adolescent been through a traumatic event and you want them to have a safe space to be heard without judgment? Today is very different in the world of social media, social unrest, and social anxiety. I am here to listen, provide empathy, and meet the client where they are at therapeutically. I provide an eclectic approach which allows individualistic treatment to each client. Boundary setting, confidence, healthy relationships, and life transitions are just some of themes worked on in sessions with clients and their families.

We're going to laugh too. Unless you prefer a more serious tone, I can do that too. What's your story? I'll be here to listen and guide your work on whatever brought you here today. Maybe it's something small that you need to speak out loud in a safe space or maybe it's something huge, like grief, we can talk about that too. Are there feelings or thoughts you just can’t shake lately? Are your relationships becoming challenging? Are you wanting to create new habits and ditch old ones? Reach out via email, and let's see if we're a good match.

I am an experienced eclectic psychologist. I have been trained in a variety of therapeutic approaches: family systems, strategic, psychodynamic, EMDR, Jungian, cognitive behavioral, hypnosis, Gestalt, humanistic existential. and I can custom tailor my therapy to the best interests of my client. I enjoy working with, and have been successful with, adult clients of all ages, and with individuals, couples, and families. I'm particularly well known in my local area for work to halt domestic violence and child abuse, for helping people recover from abuse and other trauma, and for working with people with depression and/or bipolar disorder.

Sometimes it can feel isolating to be alone with our thoughts and emotions - especially if they have been invalidated by those around us. Reaching out to a professional can feel like entering an unexplored path - it may trigger feelings of fear and apprehension. However, as with anything new and unexplored, the more we become familiar with something, the greater our sense of confidence and ease tends to be. I work with clients ages 13 and older who are experiencing any difficulty in some or all major areas of life including social, occupational, family/marital, and/or within oneself.

Have you labeled yourself as a high achiever, a perfectionist, a people pleaser? Do you constantly feel like you have to hustle for your worth, and just wish you could feel content with who you are right now? Maybe you've wondered, "Is life supposed to be this hard?" If so, I've been there and so have most clients I work with. You're not alone and there is nothing wrong with you for feeling this way. There is a path forward to feeling more content and more love towards yourself. I'm not saying this is easy - but as your therapist, I will help you own your story and understand that you are enough exactly as you are.

**Currently I am not taking new clients** I focus on the client's strengths to help cope with the challenges that life brings. I take a behavioral approach to understanding ourselves, our relationships, and how change is possible. Working with parents and families to bring understanding and skills of how to make our relationships stronger and more functional day to day.

I am on extended leave and unable to accept new clients at this time.

Perhaps there is no more healing, sustaining and enriching experience in life than one given by the opportunity to understand oneself and others. Psychotherapy is uniquely suited to provide this experience. It's a place where difficulties can be explored both safely and meaningfully. One's problems might emerge during a personal crisis; or perhaps, one's problems have become clear only over time. In either case, a successful psychotherapy can bring vitality, better connections to others and success in achieving one's life goals.

Since 1977 I"ve worked as a therapist with Individuals,Couples and Families. I have found that people usually come to therapy because of some pattern of internal pain or difficulties within their relationships or daily lives. Often this pain involves feelings of: anxiety, sadness or depression, loneliness, grief, stress, frustration or anger, as well as behaviors that at times are ineffective, self-sabatoging or addictive in nature. I work in a respectful, confidential, compassionate, and collaborative way. I am professional, very direct and honest, while honoring your feelings and values.

**Currently I am not taking new clients. Seeking therapy can sometimes feel overwhelming and people may not know what to expect from the process. With this in mind, I have created a comfortable, safe and nonjudgmental environment for my clients. I believe that people deserve the utmost respect, warmth and compassion from their therapist. My role in the therapeutic process is to guide my clients towards their highest potential, while also collaborating with them in every aspect of our work. Because everyone has unique strengths and barriers, my therapy style is open, flexible, and tailored to meet the specific goals of each client.

Therapy is an individualized process that empowers you to be honest and open, giving you the willingness to change. Self-reflection requires the courage to be vulnerable and the curiosity to explore your feelings. I am passionate about helping my clients overcome life's challenges in a process tailored to their needs. Through empathetic listening, I strive to make my clients feel comfortable and supported on their path to change. I am committed to developing partnerships with my clients, working together to heal in an accepting and understanding environment.

Life presents each of us with a rich tapestry of joys and sorrows, successes and failures, hills and valleys. Perhaps you have recently encountered a hardship in your life. Maybe you are surrounded with the trappings of a "successful" life, yet deep down, you still feel unhappy. You might feel pulled in all directions by the demands associated with each of your roles in life (e.g. spouse, sibling, child, co-worker, friend, etc.) You may find yourself overspending, working too much, or engaging in other self-defeating habits. Being a human being is hard work. None of us are meant to travel the complex road of life by ourselves.

Karlin Stern is a licensed clinical social worker providing evidence-based treatment in the state of Michigan. Her training has included working with children, adolescents, and young adults experiencing emotional and behavioral concerns such as ADHD, anger, anxiety, depression, trauma, and grief. Karlin also works closely with caregivers to provide assistance in managing stress, improving emotional regulation skills, better understand their child’s needs, and support the parent-child relationship. Karlin received her training at the University of Michigan School of Social Work and Michigan Medicine Department of Psychiatry.