Being able to feel safe with other people is probably the single most important aspect of mental health; safe connections are fundamental to meaningful and satisfying lives.”
― Bessel A. van der Kolk, The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
Hello! I’m Abby. My background in family crisis counseling taught me the importance of believing in a person’s resilience and strength during their most difficult periods. While practicing as a mental health therapist during the pandemic, I continued to witness that distressed human beings have an innate capacity to learn and heal once they are provided with enough support and validation. I believe the more accepting we are of ourselves, the more authentically we can relate to others and be able to form meaningful and satisfying relationships. My goal as a therapist is to co-create a safe space with my client which empowers them to explore and resolve issues that are preventing them from becoming their true self and causing them psychological distress. By attuning to my client’s inner world and being present for their emotions, I hope to help illuminate important parts of their story that add meaning to their life, and guide them toward adaptive ways to emotionally respond. I aim to honor each client’s complex individuality when collaborating on treatment goals. My clinical approach uses evidence based interventions and focuses on interpersonal & emotional growth and behavioral change which include: experiential processing, Gestalt enactments, DBT Skills, distress tolerance, self-compassion exercises, narrative interventions, and mindfulness.
As an LGBTQ community member and former sexuality and sex mentor/educator, I am passionate about providing affirmative support for people with sexual minority identities. I am knowledgeable and experienced with kink, BDSM/Ds, and polyamory/non-monogamy. I have clinical background and experience working with individuals with complex trauma, sexual abuse, anxiety, depression, work-related stress, insomnia, bipolar disorder and substance use.
