Therapists in Southwest Garden, Saint Louis, MO

If you are navigating sexual, romantic, or emotional difficulties I am here to help. Struggling with identity and authenticity in a sex negative, stigmatizing society can be an isolating experience. You and any partners need an affirming space to explore the full bounds of your potential. A validating and inclusive space can help you feel comfortable questioning the social constructs and relational education you’ve received that may no longer serve you. You will receive guidance in existing confidently and finding the connection you seek. You deserve someone who is on your side, rooting for your success, whatever that may look like.

Ellen Dorfman believes that the client is the ultimate expert. She prefers to accompany clients on the journey of their choosing, assuming the role of guide rather than tour director. Ellen is most interested in what can be learned from the clients as they bring issues of trauma, and loss. Those with grief, loss, depression, and personal growth and identity issues make up much of her practice. When appropriate, Ellen draws upon many years of experience and is equipped and comfortable with a variety of therapeutic tools and skills to help clients in their quests.

As a social worker, my goal is to partner with my clients so that they may achieve their goals. I have a diverse background in treating trauma, addiction and mental health from a strengths-based perspective, and I have been successful in helping clients to integrate long-term solutions in their daily lives. I feel that my ability to create a strong therapeutic alliance with clients as one of my biggest strengths. For those suffering from PTSD/other past trauma, I offer EMDR therapy which continues to be researched as highly effective for individuals suffering from these conditions.

Whether it be little moments or big ones, it is my belief that we have all experienced some degree of trauma in life. No matter the degree, the impact on us can be significant. In trying to make sense of these experiences, we can all benefit from having witnesses to our experiences and pain. We are not meant to live life alone. For many this leads us to look for a therapist. As a therapist, but also just as a person, it is an honor each time I am invited to bear witness to someone else's story.

I have a diverse background in the evidence-based treatment of persons with trauma, eating disorders, co-occurring disorders, anxiety, mood disorders, LGBTQIA+ challenges and gender dysphoria. For clients with PTSD and other trauma, common goals include symptom reduction, coping, exploration and healing. With eating disorders, my practice is most appropriate for clients who have attended a higher level of care (e.g. Intensive Outpatient, Residential, PHP) and are looking to confront issues underlying the eating disorder. Clients seeking gender affirming care will find support with expression, transition, relationships and more.

Hello Friend! I’m a curious person who loves helping my fellow humans find their best and most authentic way of being. My goal is to be the lantern in your hand that can shed light on things you may not see, offer guidance during dark times, and hopefully help you see the bright light that is also within you! I enjoy working with people who are ready to start talking about their goals, struggles and who are looking for tools to tackle life differently. I can help you navigate life transitions, explore parts of your identity/sexuality, and help create healthy boundaries so you can feel safe in your relationships.

I work with women and married couples dealing with issues of depression, anxiety, relational difficulties, sexual difficulties, and spiritual formation. I provide individual and marital counseling, per-marital counseling, and as my schedule permits, group counseling. Most of my work is with women or couples who are 18 years old or older.

If you are motivated to grow as an individual or as a couple, face challenging realities, and develop a growth mentality, or if you need to recover from harm, work through grief, and move toward wholeness and wellbeing, this could be the right therapeutic fit for you. If you feel stuck, unsatisfied, anxious, or discouraged, we can work through your struggles. If your relationship is in jeopardy or you just want to take it to the next level of connection, this is the right place for you. Lastly, to recent graduates looking for supervision, I've enjoyed supervising many therapists over the years and would be happy to discuss fitting.

Clients work best with me when their goal is to strengthen relationships, when they feel stuck in relationship patterns that are no longer serving them, as they are navigating systems of oppression and questioning dominate narratives, and developing possibility models of what self-compassion healing could be.

Why is it that you’re doing everything “right” and still don’t feel happy? How do you remain true to your heartfelt work in a world that doesn’t seem to appreciate it? Is all this stress accomplishing anything meaningful for you or your loved ones? Why do fears and anxieties keep you isolated from people you might like to know? These are just a few of the questions we can tackle together in therapy. If there is one place in the world where you should be allowed to be your genuine self, I believe it is the therapy room.

Welcome! As many of us know all too well, life is a journey filled with challenges, times of growth, and moments of learning. These transitional periods can be uncomfortable, overwhelming, and even lonely. Difficult times can feel hard to navigate on your own – My aim is to walk alongside you and provide a safe, validating, nonjudgmental, and supportive space for you to make meaning of your lived experiences. Finding healing and growth doesn’t mean forgetting the hardships you’ve faced; it’s about embracing your story and finding new ways to not just live but thrive.

Hello! I’m so grateful you’ve chosen to be here. I see the human experience as being similar to a cup of coffee; both complex and nuanced. Much like coffee, some experiences can leave us feeling bitter while others leave us feeling fulfilled. As your therapist, I will meet you wherever you are in your process and we’ll work collaboratively to navigate these lived experiences. Together we will build a therapeutic relationship that fosters self-exploration, curiosity, self-acceptance, and empowerment.

Dealing with problematic relationship patterns, depression, emotional trauma, anxiety, chronic mental health or psychosomatic issues can be overwhelming. At times you might feel desperate, stuck in repeating chains of events, or feeling hopeless and alone dealing with your problems.

If you are anything like me, you know that life is not only hard, it can sometimes feel impossible. Fortunately, counseling can be both a refuge and a catalyst for life-changing growth. I believe there’s something mysterious within all of us that already knows what we need and how to get there - sometimes we just need support in figuring out what’s getting in the way. There is no world where I am an expert on you, but I am an expert in feeling pretty miserable. And it’s from my own struggles as a complex human that I am able to be a passionately knowledgeable and creative resource for you.

Hey! I’m Levi. I invite you to take a moment in your search to exhale with me. I appreciate you finding your way to me today. What’s more, I appreciate the world you exist in right now. No matter your stage of life, or which part(s) of your internal and external worlds you want to discuss – I will arrive in gentle kindness to strategize with you toward digestible approaches to life problems. You need not have “one big issue” that brings you to our space. In the words of my favorite band, Yo La Tengo: “Let’s be undecided, let’s take our time; and sooner or later, we will know our mind.”

The systems we live within (capitalism, racism, sexism, fatphobia, etc.) and our early attachment experiences can leave us feeling disconnected from others, our bodies, our values, and our authentic selves. I offer a compassionate, non-judgemental space to explore with you and acknowledge the ways these systems have impacted and neglected you. Together, we'll develop resources, skills, and insights to make your life and relationships more manageable and meaningful.