About Therapy
There are so many layers to this thing we call life.
School, work, marriage, parenting, ever-changing relationships – so much is happening.
You ask yourself, “What am I even doing here?”
Therapy with me is like a box of chocolates… you never know what you’re gonna get! A little humor at times when appropriate (mostly regarding myself and my humanizing moments) mixed with a lot of understanding.
There is no pressure, and I strive for all clients to feel accepted. If we’re working through something hard and one week you just simply don’t feel you can do it, then we focus on coping skills, discussing other stressors in life, or naming feelings and communication skills.
Meeting you where you are each session is very important to me.
How are you doing as you navigate this season of your life?
Aimless…
You just can’t figure out what is missing – feeling so misplaced, out of character. Decisions are hard to make, so none get made at all, even after writing lists, getting different medications, getting better sleep, and reading self-help books. You still feel you’re left without direction.
Anxious…
The anxiety displays irritability and feeling out of control. Unable to even pinpoint the problem is creating all of this anxiety. It feels like you could explode.
Overwhelmed…
Life is so incredibly overwhelming. There is just simply too much to do in one day. The feeling of not even knowing where you start.
Misunderstood…
Even when reaching out to others and friends, you feel so alone. Feelings and concerns with surface-level responses. No one checks in because they truly just don’t understand the magnitude of what is happening.
When you don’t get the support, you need…
Exciting and positive moments become daunting and scary.
Ever want to share that you’ve settled on that house, passed that hard test you’ve studied for hours, or aren’t sure how to introduce something new to your eight-month-old but you can’t because your longest friend recently told you ‘it’s not about you.’ So you’re closed off, and all this awesome fun stuff became really scary.
You no longer feel you have the support you based your life on. You feel betrayed, angry, and sad. All the feelings you should be feeling are happiness, joy, and success.
Because of the isolation, there’s no one to turn to and share the news of passing that test, exploring a different way to grow your family, or hearing that you’ve finally landed that job. Sometimes, it’s just someone to listen rather than respond. You feel so far detached that lifelong relationships feel so foreign. So, instead of sharing, the good gets shoved back down. Maybe next time.
The path to a happier, healthier you takes time and effort.
Change is uncomfortable.
One good day doesn’t define the next as good, and vice versa. Some days you’ll feel like so much progress has been made, and others, we might just chat about how to set a boundary, how you reverted to old communication skills, or even play a game for those who find that healing. These things are all that make up forward movement in therapy.
It won’t always be a big ‘a-ha’ session – and that’s ok. Because therapy takes time, and I have plenty of it.
But I will help you every step of the way, encouraging you to grow!
We’ll explore your triggers and teach you coping skills to deal with the anxiety.
We’ll make a plan, identifying and setting small goals to help you become the most authentic version of yourself.
We’ll clarify who YOU want to be and chart a path to take you there!
Hi, I’m Angelina!
The seasons of my life shaped me into who I am today.
I can now set boundaries, evaluate my communication skills, and get up from the table when I don’t feel welcome.
But it wasn’t always that way.
I’ve lost connections with close friends and had to go from being relatively dependent on others to this ‘I got this’ attitude.
We’ve had some big career changes to work through within my immediate family. I have an infertility diagnosis that took a frustrating four years to get. I had to figure out how I ticked, what makes me happy – which is different than what made me happy before all of that.
I have felt (still do sometimes) misunderstood by many people who don’t know me. And that’s ok – I know me. And most importantly, I like myself! (Now that is). I am taking it one step at a time, returning to the basics, and being better than I was yesterday.
I’m honest, expressive, and persistent.
Honesty in therapy is really the only way to do it – and I love to show my clients just how human I can be. From locking myself out of my office to spilling coffee on myself right before a session, we can laugh at me together.
But with that honesty, people can see the true me who is so focused on helping.
The expressiveness I blame on my Italian heritage. I can be passionate about stories or helping a client ‘get it.’ Because when we start to get ourselves, why we tick, that’s the real magic of therapy.
Persistence can be such a fun quality to have. Sometimes, I wonder if my persistence is patience, but I suppose both are good for therapy. If we get stuck together on something, we keep going. It doesn’t happen overnight. But when I was told I couldn’t bare children and that it was a 1% chance of happening – that didn’t stop me from seeking more answers and ways to grow my family.
I enjoy working with just about everyone!
Adults
I’m a ‘come as you are’ kinda person. Whether it’s struggling to find time to clean your home or grocery shop, whether the last ten years of work was in the right or wrong career, to the really hard conversation you aren’t sure how to begin, I am here for it all. Taking things slow and allowing space to process each season is exactly what you’ll get when you begin therapy with me.
Adolescents
Changing bodies, changing personalities, changing interests, and changing values are hard to talk about because you don’t even know if what you feel is ok. I’ve been there – uncomfortable and unable to have the words to say what I need. You are safe with me to share exactly what is on your mind. There’s space to play games, do some artwork to help express yourself – or share your thoughts through music. Everything goes here. Everyone is welcome.
Couples
You are walking on eggshells – unable to communicate about the simplest things without it turning into a confrontation or feeling attacked. Intimacy seems like it’s on a schedule – or non-existent at times. Not sure if any of this is normal – will you make it through this season? I get it. The anxiety you’re feeling within the walls of your relationship is suffocating. Let’s work together to break that down and understand why you feel like you do towards one another.
Families
Family therapy can be a safe place for everyone to learn, share, and communicate. It can be hard to understand what our children or parents think about a situation. Learning that it is ok just to be wherever you are, to share the concerns and personal struggles with each other – can help move your family to the positive place you’re striving to be.
When I’m not doing therapy…
You’ll often find me camping and traveling with my family.
But I enjoy reading, baking, and cooking when I’m at home.
I’m glad you’re here. Let’s work through this together.
If you made it this far – you are ready. We can take those next steps together.
There is no pressure, no timeline.
Let’s chat about what’s keeping you from changing from that life you strive for and crave: (484) 800-1432.
It will take 20 minutes to see where we start and how we work together to create a happier and healthier you.