About
she/her/hers
My areas of expertise include helping people recover from alcohol/drug abuse & addiction, trauma, family of origin issues, spiritual abuse & other crises of faith, grief, anxiety, relationship issues, and working through stage of life transitions.
My style is warm, supportive and personable drawing largely from person-centered, existentialist, cognitive-behavioral, and family systems approaches to counseling and psychotherapy. I have worked for over 15 years in both substance use outpatient and inpatient programs, as well as in medical and psychiatric hospital settings in the capacity of a chaplain.
I offer a free 15-minute phone consultation to explore what you are looking for from therapy and whether we would be a good fit, as well as to answer any questions you might have. I offer a sliding scale as well as discounts for health care workers and first responders. I am able to provide bills for out-of-network benefits.
When I was younger, I wanted to be a scholar and a teacher. I was more interested in academic and philosophical ideas than I was people. Over time and through personal hardships, my perspective changed and deepened. I was fortunate to have a variety of healers enter my own life and show me how to walk the path from pain to peace, and I am still walking on this path. I believe in empathy and the power of presence to bring solace to the grieving, peace to the anxious, and hope to the hurting. I am a therapist because there is nothing else in the world I would rather do than help people create love, peace, and joy in their lives and with their lives.
My areas of expertise include helping people recover from alcohol/drug abuse & addiction, trauma, family of origin issues, spiritual abuse & other crises of faith, grief, anxiety, relationship issues, and working through stage of life transitions. My style is warm, supportive, open and personable drawing largely from person-centered, existentialist, cognitive-behavioral, and family systems approaches to counseling and psychotherapy. While I believe that pharmacology may be a necessary aid to many, I am also supportive of those who wish to seek healing through non-medicated means.
I have training in Non Violent Communication (Marshall Rosenberg), Motivational Interviewing, Seeking Safety, Relapse Prevention Skills, multicultural competency, and trauma-informed care. I am a Certified Prepare/Enrich Facilitator, and am currently undertaking training through the Gottman Institute for couples therapy.
I obtained my Bachelor of Arts degree in English with minors in German and European Studies from Linfield College (now Linfield University) in McMinnville, Oregon. I spent the year after college living and working as a teacher in Germany while on a Fulbright grant. Serendipitous circumstances led me to seek a Master of Divinity degree (with a focus on Pastoral Care & Counseling) at Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, NJ. My experiences there revealed my heart for creating healing spaces for those who hurt, which eventually led me to NYU where I obtained a Master of Arts in Counseling for Mental Health & Wellness in 2009.
I have worked for both substance use outpatient and inpatient programs, as well as in medical and psychiatric hospital settings in the capacity of a chaplain. I have over 15 years of counseling experience working with people who are experiencing anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, addiction, family conflict, relationship problems, legal problems, vocational problems and spiritual crises of faith.
Most of my free time is spent with my 3 year old son, playing with cars or going on nature walks. I have a love for Jane Austen and all things British (Downton Abbey, The Crown, etc.). I also enjoy murder mysteries, science fiction, Broadway musicals, live comedy and badly acted dance movies. I enjoy arts and crafts, and love adult coloring books and acrylic pouring. On occasion, I bake.
“I value kindness, compassion, and authenticity and seek to provide a nonjudgmental and supportive presence with all of my clients.”
Staci DesRault, LMHC