Psychotherapy for Individuals

Therapy is a place for inquiry and finding meaning. Whether you are hoping to better understand your relationship patterns, process past and/or ongoing trauma, explore disowned aspects of or shifts in your identity, make a difficult decision or choose your next step(s), I bring a curious and warm presence to your exploration.

Early experiences and relationships can be viewed as blueprints for relating to oneself and to others. Oppression, harm, and not being seen in your family, communities, and the systems and structures we live within can make it unsafe to connect to the truth of who you are. As a relational, trauma-informed and somatically-oriented therapist, I pay attention to what happens not only in your life outside of the therapy room, but also what shows up in session; be it a bodily sensation, a trigger, an image, or simply a new experience. We will let your process unfold at your own pace, perhaps slowing down in moments to connect with your internal world. In sessions I balance open, non-directive, and exploratory space with practical skill building and regular check ins about how the therapy is going for you.

People seek psychotherapy with me for a variety of reasons, including:

  • experiences of acute and/or complex trauma (PTSD and C-PTSD)

  • gendered and/or sexual trauma

  • grief and loss

  • navigating relationships to: self, family of origin, chosen family, colleagues, friends, and romantic and sexual partners

  • money and class struggles

  • experiences of anxiety (generalized and specific) and/or depression

  • feeling different or “other”

  • challenges with self-acceptance and self-compassion

  • compassion fatigue / burn out / vicarious trauma

  • identity development and integration

We may be a good fit if you are:

  • queer

  • an artist / creative

  • in a helping profession / service industry

  • questioning and exploring dominant narratives and experiences of privilege and oppression

  • exploring your spirituality

  • exploring your sexuality

  • exploring your relationship to anger

  • a highly sensitive person

  • interested in creating boundaries in your relationships but struggling to do so

  • a twin or in close relationship with a twin / multiple

I’ve worked with people at many stages in their journey. If this is your first time in therapy or you’ve had multiple experiences prior to now - whether your previous experiences were helpful or not - I encourage you to reach out if anything you’ve read resonates.

Psychotherapy for Adolescents

The pandemic has affected us all, but perhaps no group more than our adolescents and teens. Have you noticed changes in your teen’s mood, school performance, or ways of relating? Does your teen struggle with anxiety, depression, or sense of belonging? Is your teen struggling to process the complexity of their developmental stage during this unprecedented time in history? If so, they are not alone.

If your teen has experienced any (or all) of the above, therapy may be a place for them to explore ways of coping with their struggles. I work with adolescents in a collaborative and engaged way in order to expand awareness and create skills for life’s obstacles and difficulties.

Other experiences / issues I work with:

  • trauma

  • gender identity

  • sexual orientation

  • navigating family and social relationships

  • separation/divorced parents

  • feeling different or “other”

  • twins/multiples

Relationship Psychotherapy

Relationship partners (couples, other romantic and sexual constellations, siblings, business partners, housemates, etc) seek out relationship therapy because they may be having trouble communicating, intervening on a pattern or cycle, or navigating a shift or transition in their relationship. Perhaps the intersection of you and your partner’s identities is a source of ongoing stress and/or conflict. These are all things that we can explore together in relationship therapy. I make space for each partner to tap into and express their internal experience in an effort to create more transparency, connection, and authenticity in relationships. Through embodied exercises and development of individual and relationship-oriented coping skills, I support relationship partners in identifying obstacles and shifting how they relate to and cope with those obstacles.

Coaching

I am now offering coaching for individuals and relationship partners within and outside the state of California. Coaching is different than therapy in many ways. As a coach, I can help you distill goals for the future and assess what shifts you can make to move toward those goals. If you are interested in hearing more about individual or relationship coaching, please email me at mclachlancoaching@gmail.com.