Experiential Therapy in West Lake Hills, TX

Are you looking to live your life more authentically? Are there things getting in the way of your happiness that you aren't quite able to make sense of or get past? Do you have trauma that impacts your relationships and day-to-day life? I'm here to help you gain clarity and find the path forward with tools to reduce stress and improve insight and coping. I can help you unlearn the unhealthy behaviors learned in earlier in life and replace them with healthy behaviors.

We all strive to live a good life, but sometimes we feel directionless, hopeless or feel like we're holding ourselves back. I utilize a combination of Internal Family Systems (IFS), Attachment-based therapy, EMDR, and somatic work to empower you to be your authentic self no matter the trauma. In my work I collaborate with my clients to find ways of being that are sustainable and long-term. Whether it's addiction, depression, anxiety, relationship issues, or trauma, we will hold space to grow our ability to be mindful, to be in tune with our bodies, and be connected with those around us.

Are you tired of fighting and feeling unheard or misunderstood in your relationships? Whether it’s your family, your partner, or your ex, we can work together to break unhelpful patterns and create happier, healthier connections. I help individuals who are trying to improve their relationships, build better boundaries, rediscover their authentic selves, and work through pain from their family of origin. I also help families work through problems and enhance their feelings of connectedness with each other.

I work with individuals who seek to truly understand themselves and what drives their behaviors. Exploring one’s inner world with curiosity and compassion makes up an important first step to healing. When an individual’s inner and outer selves are aligned and unacknowledged pain is surfaced, one is freed up to heal and live more fully and honestly. You may have a sense that bits and pieces of yourself have been suppressed or dismissed along the way. My approach to therapy will help you retrieve and re-integrate these important parts of yourself so that you can feel whole and fulfilled.

A particular passion of mine, present throughout my life, has been fostering healthy relationships. I have served in multiple roles within mental health, including crisis management, inpatient psychiatry, and therapy. In every context, one thing continues to ring true- your relationship to yourself is the foundation to your relationship with others.

I am passionate about collaborating with clients to build meaningful lives and improve wellness. I specialize in group and individual therapy using various techniques to fulfill the needs that best fit the client. I take a Positive Psychology and Person Centered approach, allowing the client to direct their own self-discovery. Creativity is a main influence, allowing me to utilize art techniques, client-directed activities, behavioral approaches, and remain fluid to shape sessions. By encouraging, reflection, identifying what makes one happy, and showing unconditional support, allows me to understand individual needs.

If you are reading my profile, then you are probably looking for someone to help you with the problems that you and your family are facing. Perhaps your child is struggling with social anxiety, is depressed, acting out aggressively, having difficulties accepting a divorce, experiencing stress from school and extracurricular activities, or they just want someone to talk things through with. My practice focuses on helping youth learn how to cope with the stressors life brings them and to reach their potential.

Do you ever feel like your actions don't make sense, and you don't know why you end up doing what you do and feeling how you feel? Like maybe YOU don't make sense? I have been there too, and I believe there are reasons behind what we believe and how we act. Part of my intention is to help you develop insight into your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, as well as to provide a safe space for you to feel whatever stirs inside of you. By paying attention to all of your experience, we can learn more about your inner process, begin to disentangle that process from self-judgment, and help you find meaning in your struggles and triumphs.

Are we falling out of love? Were we ever in love? Are we losing our connection? Did we ever really have one? Are these some of the questions you have and need the answers to? In the past, I have also wondered: how do you know if a relationship is right? How do you repair the relationship after the mistakes have been made or the connection is lost? I set out on a lifelong journey to answer these very questions for you.

Thank you for stopping by. For more info about my services, please visit www.MyAustinTherapist.com. A psychologist for 20 years, my goal is to help bring positive change to all aspects of your life and your future. It may be through helping you feel good again, improving your self-esteem, developing better relationships, leading a more rewarding life, or achieving your goals; to be empowered, cope with stress or help with identity development.

Are you overwhelmed? Anxious? Lonely? In emotional or even physical pain? Working hard to care for everyone else and coming up empty within yourself? Feeling isolated in the close relationship you care about most? Therapy offers a safe and confidential place to get some help to develop or perhaps rekindle a lively connection to yourself and your own dreams. If your relationship is suffering, it can help you regain the closeness and intimacy you once had and if you are parents help you nurture your own marriage while raising secure children.

Trouble turning your brain off? Is your life not where you thought it would be by now? Does anxiety get in the way of truly connecting with others? I get it. I can help. I can give you the tools you need to finally take control of your life.

I view therapy as a deeply transformative experience where people may discover more of who they are and ultimately find a greater sense of peace. Our suffering is often a result of a complex set of circumstances involving our sense of self, our relationships with others, our thoughts, and our feelings. I believe each person deserves to be understood in all of his or her complexity. It is only within an open and accepting relationship with another that we can begin to experience ourselves and our relationships in a new and healing way.

My work supports all people to find their best selves. Whether this is your first time in a therapeutic setting or you are experienced, I honor the courage it takes to start a journey of vulnerability. What I enjoy most about the therapeutic relationship is that I am just as human as you are! Clients have found me down-to-earth, non-judgmental, and genuinely invested in their well-being. As a social worker and therapist, I strive to empower each person to identify their own strengths and contributions, as well as skills to cope with challenges necessary for accomplishing their personal goals.

I provide a compassionate ear to individuals and couples who feel stuck, and are struggling to find their way forward. Often, my clients have experienced issues related to addiction, intimacy, life transitions, identity and more. By utilizing techniques and concepts from Emotionally Focused Therapy, Internal Family Systems, and Somatic Therapy, I strive to create a space where you can grow in self-compassion, self-understanding, and familiarity with your emotions. My counseling style mixes empathetic support with thought-provoking questions, in order to not only join with you in your experiences, but help you reach your goals too.

I work closely with Highly Sensitive People, Austin spectrum, medical personnel, first responders, & those seeking to restore nervous system capacity, enhance Self understanding & experience intimate, grounded, & growth oriented relationships. My focus areas also include conscious integration, psychedelic preparation & integration, addiction recovery, & trauma resolution PTSD & CPTSD. Let's develop space together for you to relax, restore, explore, & prioritize what matters most in your life.

Hey there! However you got here, I am glad we crossed paths and that you decided to take a look into counseling. It is no secret that sometimes we are handed some difficult circumstances, and it is my firm belief that we all need someone – someone to listen, care, and offer a safe space. Counseling is an opportunity to grow, heal, and flourish! Each and every client brings their own unique strengths to the table and I believe that these attributes can be leveraged in order to create a better quality of life. www.safespacehealingcollective.com

Are you struggling with anxiety, depression or difficulty in relationships? Have you tried therapy, but not gotten the results you desire? The cause could be unresolved trauma that is blocking your ability to move forward. Our past can contaminate the present, which causes our future to replicate our past, leaving one stuck. Do you and your partner struggle discussing issues, feel disconnected, or are drifting apart? The failure to communicate is the greatest cause of marital problems. Using Gottman Couples Therapy, I will help you learn effective skills to manage conflict and find new meaning in your relationships.

No matter what brings you to therapy, I work with you to identify and heal the unhealthy attachment styles and trauma responses that are painful barriers in your life today. These barriers are often responsible for all the negative beliefs we have about ourselves now, that only hold us back from our best potential. Our work together teaches you how to break these cycles while gaining a new, healthy perception of yourself today, as well as for the painful issue(s) that brought you to therapy. You will evolve with new insight, awareness, and love for yourself! It's a beautiful transformation and an honor to witness.