Specialties
Grief Counseling
Losing a loved one can be a shattering and completely disorienting experience! It may seem like the world is going on without you as you are left wondering how to live without your loved one. Even though grief can be completely overwhelming, it is also a very natural process and a compassionate guide can help you find your path forward. Each person's journey is unique, but together we can move toward healing and restoration.
It has been our observation that many people would prefer to minimize their grief. The idea of working through the feelings, experiences and memories related to their grief is simply too painful to bear, so many people suppress their grief or reach for their favorite way to numb out (substances, electronics, work, etc.). Unfortunately, when we avoid these deeply rooted emotional experiences, they do not go away. Sometimes they creep in and affect our relationships, sometimes they cause us to over/under function in our lives, and often they become physical symptoms. It is best to acknowledge the emotional journey your grief will require, set aside some time and emotional energy for the journey, and find someone to journey with you so you are not alone.
When we support someone who is grieving, we will take a look at your relationship with your loved one, honor the significant role they have had in your life and work to heal any unresolved issues in that relationship. We will take a look at the difficult emotions involved in your grief journey and metabolize them together. We will begin to visualize your future without your loved one and work to adjust any expectations or roles that will need to change. Call today to initiate the grief support you need.
It has been our observation that many people would prefer to minimize their grief. The idea of working through the feelings, experiences and memories related to their grief is simply too painful to bear, so many people suppress their grief or reach for their favorite way to numb out (substances, electronics, work, etc.). Unfortunately, when we avoid these deeply rooted emotional experiences, they do not go away. Sometimes they creep in and affect our relationships, sometimes they cause us to over/under function in our lives, and often they become physical symptoms. It is best to acknowledge the emotional journey your grief will require, set aside some time and emotional energy for the journey, and find someone to journey with you so you are not alone.
When we support someone who is grieving, we will take a look at your relationship with your loved one, honor the significant role they have had in your life and work to heal any unresolved issues in that relationship. We will take a look at the difficult emotions involved in your grief journey and metabolize them together. We will begin to visualize your future without your loved one and work to adjust any expectations or roles that will need to change. Call today to initiate the grief support you need.
Highly Sensitive People
Welcome to all who have been labeled "too sensitive," or "too emotional" or "too needy." We see you and really value who you are in this world! We know that this world doesn't always feel kind to those of us who have highly sensitive traits. In fact, your sensitivity may have been talked about as if it is a liability. We think this couldn't be further from the truth! We believe that high sensitivity can be a very valuable trait, especially when the person holding that trait has been empowered to create a life that allows them to thrive!
When we are talking about being highly sensitive, we are referring to a temperament trait that exists in 15-20% of the population, split evenly between men and women. This trait generally causes a person to have a strong awareness of subtleties in stimuli and gives them the potential to become overwhelmed by too much stimuli (Aron & Aron, 1997). High sensitivity affects all areas of life and often expresses itself in these ways:
When supporting HSP clients, we work to understand how these expressions look in their life, what their impact has been and how it has affected their work, relationships and sense of self. Often times, HSP clients benefit from establishing a lifestyle that caters to their sensory sensitivities and allows for appropriate expression of their rich internal life. We can help you explore these themes in your own life, setting up boundaries and expectations with loved ones and empowering you to develop a life in which you thrive!
If you are wondering if you might be Highly Sensitive, take a quick quiz here.
When we are talking about being highly sensitive, we are referring to a temperament trait that exists in 15-20% of the population, split evenly between men and women. This trait generally causes a person to have a strong awareness of subtleties in stimuli and gives them the potential to become overwhelmed by too much stimuli (Aron & Aron, 1997). High sensitivity affects all areas of life and often expresses itself in these ways:
- Depth of Processing
- Overarousability
- Emotional Intensity
- Sensory Sensitivity
When supporting HSP clients, we work to understand how these expressions look in their life, what their impact has been and how it has affected their work, relationships and sense of self. Often times, HSP clients benefit from establishing a lifestyle that caters to their sensory sensitivities and allows for appropriate expression of their rich internal life. We can help you explore these themes in your own life, setting up boundaries and expectations with loved ones and empowering you to develop a life in which you thrive!
If you are wondering if you might be Highly Sensitive, take a quick quiz here.
Attachment Disruptions
Our initial caregivers are meant to provide consistent and attuned care as our young selves are growing and developing. The quality of initial attachment or bonding in our first relationships can strongly affect how we feel about ourselves and how we feel in relationships as adults. Ideally, high-quality caregiving provides a safe haven and secure base for developing young people to belong and become. As a safe haven, our caregivers are meant to be our "home base" by providing a safe and accepting place to rest and recover. When our caregivers act as a secure base, we rely on their strength and confidence as we go out into the world to learn, explore and discover ourselves. Attuned caregivers serve as "mirrors" giving helpful and loving feedback that serves in identity formation. When we are offered this level of attunement when we are young, we will learn to attach to others in a secure way and we will develop a strong sense of identity.
When this initial attachment process is disrupted for any reason, we struggle to feel safe within ourselves or in relationship with others. These difficulties exist on a spectrum that ranges from mild to severe disruption. Some common disruptions include foster care/adoption experiences, the death or loss of a parent, harsh parenting practices, systemic poverty, parental abuse, etc. Some mental health conditions that are affected by attachment disruptions include Depression, Anxiety, Complex Trauma, Reactive Attachment Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, etc. As a team of therapists, we have a sensitivity to those who have been negatively affected by their initial caregiver relationships.
We hold a great amount hope for healing and freedom for clients with attachment struggles! We have an attachment-focused and trauma-informed approach to helping people who have experienced disruptions in attachment. We reach for trauma therapies as well as Dialectical Behavior Therapy to support clients in this situation. We believe the therapeutic relationship can serve as a redemptive opportunity in which a client can explore feeling safe within a relationship and can try new and different skills and patterns. Call today to engage a supportive and safe therapeutic relationship!
When this initial attachment process is disrupted for any reason, we struggle to feel safe within ourselves or in relationship with others. These difficulties exist on a spectrum that ranges from mild to severe disruption. Some common disruptions include foster care/adoption experiences, the death or loss of a parent, harsh parenting practices, systemic poverty, parental abuse, etc. Some mental health conditions that are affected by attachment disruptions include Depression, Anxiety, Complex Trauma, Reactive Attachment Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, etc. As a team of therapists, we have a sensitivity to those who have been negatively affected by their initial caregiver relationships.
We hold a great amount hope for healing and freedom for clients with attachment struggles! We have an attachment-focused and trauma-informed approach to helping people who have experienced disruptions in attachment. We reach for trauma therapies as well as Dialectical Behavior Therapy to support clients in this situation. We believe the therapeutic relationship can serve as a redemptive opportunity in which a client can explore feeling safe within a relationship and can try new and different skills and patterns. Call today to engage a supportive and safe therapeutic relationship!