Kennedy Counseling Collective

Due to the pandemic, we have all experienced change in our lives. Suddenly, you may have found yourself managing work-life balance from home, which may have been exciting initially. Over time, however, you may have found the multitasking to be exhausting and looking for ways to escape anxiety. You may have experienced a toll in the form of the loss of a loved one, dealing with the uncertainty of remaining safe and healthy, finding meaning in life, and exploring your connection to the world or a higher power. In response to the pandemic, I have become passionate about working with you to face these transitions in life. As we face these new obstacles and challenges together, I will provide a nurturing space for you to grow rather than survive.

Seniors are facing an extraordinarily difficult time during the pandemic due to distance from their caretakers, isolation, and fear of getting sick. I am here to offer support by providing a consistent space, where seniors may connect safely and be heard.

In my work with children, teens and their families I begin by exploring the strengths in your family. I cultivate an environment where everyone has an opportunity to be heard, so that a collective goal may be established.

I draw from several approaches and apply what fits best for you. Cognitive-behavioral techniques allow me to work alongside you to help you regain control of the perception of your circumstances. I use psychotherapy techniques to help you gain insight about your challenges. My mindfulness meditations help you to regain focus in the present moment, decreasing stress while relaxing your body and your mind. I look forward to offering supportive tools to help you through obstacles, encourage deeper understanding about yourself, and assist you towards thriving.

Let’s put it out there – while there is pressure to portray having it all together, life can be incredibly challenging! We are balancing COVID-19, civil unrest, bills, work demands, and family responsibilities. The expectation is often to continue pushing forward with day-to-day life, while telling ourselves that we can’t pause to reflect, let alone heal. I believe that you deserve to reach your full potential despite your circumstances. I can help you use your strengths to overcome the barriers in your life.

I work collaboratively with clients to explore and challenge negative thought patterns. I cater my approach to you based on our work together. I hold a safe and non-judgmental space for you to build skills and learn new problem-solving approaches.

I have experience working with vulnerable adults and children, caregivers, the LGBTQ+ community, and people who have experienced trauma. I welcome the opportunity to connect with you and am excited for the opportunity to begin this journey with you.

I will share my empathy and humanity with you in our therapeutic relationship. We will work together to identify patterns and past experiences that shape how you move through the world. This might include navigating how anxiety, trauma, and attachment affect your life. We will build upon your strengths and adaptive abilities to continue shaping the life you want to lead.

I am passionate about creating a nurturing, affirmative space where we can celebrate the many complexities that make us human. This includes queer relationships and identities, chosen/blended families, poly/kink and all the myriad ways we relate to each other and ourselves. As a systems thinker, I make space to acknowledge and process racialized oppression and other traumas that come with inhabiting marginalized identities.

As someone with a prior career in LGBTQ+ inclusion, corporate Diversity & Inclusion, and international affairs, I know what it’s like to be a busy professional with a never-ending to-do list. I appreciate how sacred (and necessary!) it is to take just an hour out of our busy week for self-reflection and healing. It’s an honor and privilege for me to be a part of that process with you.

We often don’t recognize the unhelpful thinking patterns that can create obstacles to living life to the fullest. I will help you recognize and adjust these unhelpful thoughts in order to feel better and find peace.

I will meet you where you are, and provide a safe and compassionate space for you to explore your own patterns occurring beneath the surface, whether they stem from anxiety, depression, or a general sense of overwhelm and stress. We will practice strategies to deal with these feelings in sessions.

I believe in the importance of the client-therapist relationship, and I will engage you in recurring feedback and collaboration in our work together. In my work with adolescents and children, I provide an empathic environment where we will identify and explore emotions while working on productive coping skills. Areas of focus could include anxiety, depression, ADHD, social skills, and emotional regulation. Together, we will uncover strengths and resilience, building confidence as your child makes their way in the world.

I offer a consistent, safe space to build that resilience. In this space, I believe that you can learn new ways of thinking and feeling that will transform your life.

I have a passion for helping families who are at a crossroads. There are times when children and adolescents have difficulty making sense of their emotions and experience of life. I love helping children develop a greater awareness of their feelings and the ability to express their needs.

As a parent, it is distressing to see your child struggle emotionally or relationally and not know how to help. In addition to providing a calm space for children to explore their needs, I will support and coach you as a parent. I believe this is central to helping children overcome adversity while restoring harmony in the family.

My goal for you is to help you identify what triggered distress, how the past connects to your current experience, and which tools you need to move forward. Together, we will build upon your strengths, while developing new ways to approach obstacles to clear the way for the life you want to live.

Whether you are conflicted about a relationship, struggling with anxiety/depression, are adjusting to a life change or transition, or are working to heal from past pain, it can be a challenge to know where to begin. Together, we will work to explore your concerns and harness your strengths to identify solutions to your stressors. My goal is that you will leave therapy with a range of skills to use in the future.

I believe that the most successful therapeutic relationships are based in acceptance, genuineness, and empathy. I strive to create an atmosphere in which you will feel safe to share your feelings and experiences without feeling judged. My approach is direct and collaborative. I believe that you are the expert of your own experience, and I am passionate about helping you to build upon your already existing strengths.

I have experience working with children, adolescents, and adults in a variety of settings, including partner violence and homelessness. I have a particular interest in working with individuals and adolescents that identify with the LGBTQ+ community, and those who have experienced trauma.

We all need support along our paths to healing, and I am passionate about providing you with that support. I use a collaborative approach to help you tend to emotional wounds and reshape past narratives into points of growth. I will help you gain curiosity for all the different parts of yourself that need to be seen and heard to strengthen self-compassion. Using an experiential approach, I will help you build on your strengths to grow and develop skills that you can use to navigate life's challenges.

I have seen how early experiences can shape how we move through the world, particularly experiences of trauma. Inhabiting marginalized identities can make accessing healing care even more difficult. I strive to maintain an LGBTQIA, social justice, and anti-oppressive practice, which often begins with acknowledging our shared and differing relationships to power and privilege. I create a safe space for you to process trauma and explore how past experiences may be informing how you have learned to survive in a complex world. Our work together will allow you to create more choice in how you respond to distress.

In working with couples, I help create safety in the room for each person to express their needs and hopes for how they want their relationship to grow. I will help you have difficult conversations in a way that allows each of you to hear and be heard.

I look forward to holding a supportive space for self exploration and growth on your path toward wellness.

We are often occupied with our day-to-day lives and struggles with one another. I will help you go below the surface at your own pace so you can develop a better understanding of yourself and others. This includes processing experiences of trauma and abuse. I help you to acknowledge your feelings and give you a safe space to express yourself. You will move forward in areas in your life where you may have felt stuck before.

I am also here to work with you through discovering your identity, which may include gender identity. I am passionate about exploring how gender and culture intersects with each of our identities and social context.

In my work with children, ages 3 years-old and above, I use play therapy to help them process their experiences and emotions. In the same way that adults value time with a therapist, children find value in having their own space to work through the issues that weigh on them. I love working with children because in our work, I see them build resiliency to develop their confidence and learn how to express themselves.

I provide individual therapy and couples therapy (relationship therapy) for professionals and new parents. I help you move from busy to intentional city dweller, creating healthy patterns to live in the present.

If you feel you are in crisis - overwhelmed by anxious feelings, panic, stress, or feeling down about your life and relationships - I will help you make sense of those feelings, navigate them, and function better day-to-day.

Our work together may begin with problem-solving and working through the crisis at hand. With my guidance you will quickly understand the undercurrents that have brought you to this place. We will gently address these patterns at your pace and create a healing narrative so that when you leave my office, you are in a better place.

After working with me, you can expect to feel more content and purposeful, to function comfortably in your relationships, master a work-life flow, and be connected to the things that bring you joy.

For new parents, I bring my experience and training to help you navigate the logistical and emotional challenges of pregnancy and parenting. Together we identify your supports and strengths, and create a plan to ensure you have what you need to parent confidently each day.

Alongside young professionals, I help you to understand yourself and create a meaningful role for yourself in today’s world. Areas of focus may include couples therapy, family relationships, vocation, finances, and establishing healthy daily routines. You will leave each appointment with a “take away” assignment or reflection to continue your growth in between our meetings.