Couples Counseling Therapists in Haydenville, MA

Therapy is hard work. Acknowledging the challenges, I embrace the potential for healing and personal growth. At the core of my therapeutic approach, I prioritize honesty and a non-judgmental attitude on the journey toward well-being. My clients often seek support for various challenges, including anxiety, depression, the effects of trauma, and a desire to explore a more fulfilling way of life. Through collaborative therapeutic methods, I maintain a sense of curiosity and unwavering compassion, holding a space to explore hurt parts of self and work towards your version of wellness and wholeness.

I believe that therapy unfolds differently for everyone. Where for some, the process is about acknowledging painful aspects of life, for others it is about developing coping skills so that the painful aspects of life cease to be so overwhelming. Because of this variation, I offer a therapy relationship that is open and attentive. I balance being empathic and challenging, because ultimately good therapy is about feeling supported in making positive life changes.

I blend alternative therapeutic models with the latest research in epigenetics, insights from ancient spiritual traditions, wisdom from earth-based living, and embodied rituals to create processes that shift your relationship to suffering, sorrow, or emotional challenges and open you into deeper connection with your true self and harmony with life. I am affirming of LGBTQ+, poly/ENM, and kink identities. I use anti-oppression, anti-racist, ecopsychology & trauma-informed frameworks to support individual and collective liberation.

Everyone hopes to find a Therapist they will match well with in terms of personality and professional style, especially when they are suffering. Deep listening, compassion, and promotion of self-care and coping are values at the center of my practice. I attune topics and activities toward those that the client is most interested in exploring. Integrated Relational Therapy is the holistic, versatile framework that I use to meet teen and adult clients "where they're at" to address issues like trauma, grief, depression, anxiety, relationships, and addiction; through individual, family, and couples counseling.

My approach to therapy is not limited to any one direction or technique. I work to stay open to and curious about each person's unfolding story. I listen closely to nuance and I look for underlying patterns, towards understanding what keeps people stuck. I am comfortable working with great adversity and extreme pain.

When things aren't going well, we all need different things. Sometimes we need to vent, sometimes we need someone to tell us it'll all be okay, and, sometimes we just need to someone to help us figure out what to do next. When done right, therapy can be all of those things for us. My primary goal is to ensure everyone I work with feels like there is someone here to help them through life's many trials and tribulations by focusing on creating a warm and trusting therapeutic relationship. It's through this relationship that I am able to make interpretations and suggestions that can lead to the change that you are seeking.

I have been a psychotherapist for over 30 years. Early in my career I co-authored a book called Relationships, which explored how marriages either succeeded or failed. My work on the book helped me formulate a way of working with couples, one that was supportive of struggle in the interest of strengthening the relationship bond. I attempt to help couples not only survive but also to thrive. In addition, I do long- term psychodynamic work with individuals . I have worked with many people struggling with depression, anxiety and post traumatic stress.

Are you looking for a therapist that understands what it is like to be queer? Or a therapist that can help you navigate the ups and downs of non traditional relationships or family styles? You deserve therapy that is affirming and judgement-free while working through difficulties with communication, intimacy, mental health, sleep, eating, addiction, career stress, faith/religion, gender dysphoria and/or transitioning. You deserve therapy in the comfort of your own home that is easily accessible through computer or phone via secure tele-health.

I specialize in disordered eating and body image concerns. I have experience working all levels of eating disorder care. I utilize a person-centered approach that focuses on the power of connection and safety to create a space where you feel seen. I sit in the darkness with you as you build trust within yourself to find a way out, through self-compassion and love.

WHAT GOOD IS A THERAPY IF YOU CAN'T COMPLETELY TRUST YOUR THERAPIST? CONFIDENTIALITY MUST BE "CARVED IN STONE". There is an illusion of privacy that truly doesn't exist when using insurance for your therapy. Personal details and a "Clinical Diagnosis" labeling you with a MENTAL ILLNESS is entered into permanent files, and can be accessed far more easily than you realize. FOR YOU TO FEEL SAFE & AUTHENTIC IN YOUR THERAPY, I DO NOT TAKE INSURANCE, OR KEEP CLINICAL NOTES & HAVE NO "PAPER TRAIL". What I Do Have is a Deep Devoted Love for this Work, and Great Respect for your Very Personal Choices on Your Life's Journey.

I am a clinical therapist who uses narrative psychotherapy as a model to treat and process trauma, grief, and relational issues. I work with adults and older adolescents, as well as couples, and use a person-centered eclectic framework with my clients. I have been trained in AASECT sex therapy and encourage any individual, couple, or those engaged in non-traditional relationships to explore sex-related concerns in their work with me. In every aspect of my practice, I use an individualized approach with the client to build a treatment perspective that is specific to their own interests, values, and recovery.

I believe that we all have the power to change our lives by identifying and connecting with our true values and letting this guide our actions instead of our fears. Clients who suffer from depression, anxiety, and trauma related symptoms can learn how to shift their focus from negative thoughts and behaviors toward a more fulfilling relationship with themselves and others. Utilizing a trauma-informed and mindful approach I help clients develop their own treatment goals and make lasting behavioral and emotional changes.

No one can be everything to everyone. Similarly, no therapist can be everything to every client. It is therefore vital for us to find our “fit” amongst what seem to be endless yet confusing options. I am originally from China and I trained with some of the most renowned multicultural psychologists during my Ph.D. career at Columbia University. Since then, I interned and worked as a bilingual therapist at Mt. Sinai-Roosevelt Hospital in NYC, Mt. Sinai-Beth Israel Medical Center in NYC, and Amherst College Counseling Center in Amherst, MA. My own cross-cultural and cross-lingual experiences continue to shape the way I work.

Starting therapy can be daunting. I blend irreverence with a solution-focused approach to therapy. I enjoy helping clients tailor therapy to fit their needs and have been trained in many skills-based approaches. I have extensive experience working with individuals, couples, and families and a wide variety of issues. I have worked with people from many different cultures, ethnicities, religious backgrounds, genders, sexualities, abilities, and ages.

Thank you for considering my profile. I am licensed both as a Mental Health Counseler and a Marriage and Family Therapist. A guiding belief in my work is an unconditional regard for the individual value of each person. I have a variety of training (Pyschodynamic, cognitive behavioral, relational EFT, EMDR etc.)and use an ecelectic approach. I have been working with children and their families in a varity of settings, for almost 30 years. I have extensive experience working with a variety of diagnosis. I also have a bachelor degree in working with Young Children with Special Needs.