One of the things I most want every person who works with me to know is this: you are not your diagnosis. A diagnosis can be a genuinely helpful tool. It can bring relief, open doors to care and give language to something that felt confusing for a long time. But it never defines who you are. You are so much more than a label, and so much more than your hardest moments.
What is a mental health diagnosis, really?
A diagnosis is a name for a grouping of behaviors and symptoms that tend to show up together. In my view, most of those patterns are responses to the painful experience of being human. Anxiety, depression, obsessive thoughts and the habits we can't seem to break are often our unconscious trying, with everything it has, to keep us safe and to heal. That's not a sign that something is wrong with you. It's a sign that some part of you has been working very hard for a very long time.
Why I don't build therapy around labels
I take serious things seriously, and I'll never dismiss what you're going through. If a diagnosis or medication has helped you, that matters, and I'm glad. What I try not to do is let a label become the whole story. When we start to build an entire identity around being ADHD, OCD, anxious or on the spectrum, it can quietly shrink the space we have to grow. Instead of asking "what's wrong with me," I'd rather we get curious together and ask, "what works for me, and what doesn't?"
From there, we can learn to love and accept the parts of ourselves that show these tendencies, while also gently exploring what else is possible.
Grief is not a disorder
This feels especially important for the grieving people I work with. When someone we love dies, it's common to wonder whether we're doing it wrong, whether we should be "over it" by now, or whether the depth of our pain means something is broken. Grief is not a malfunction. It's love with nowhere to go, and it moves in its own way and on its own timeline. Sometimes grief does get stuck and needs extra care, and that's exactly what therapy is for. But the messy, painful, beautiful process of grieving is one of the most human things we will ever do.
What this looks like in therapy with me
Curiosity instead of judgment. We look at your patterns with interest and compassion rather than shame.
The whole person. Your creativity, humor, spirituality, relationships and relationship with nature are all part of your healing.
Practice over perfection. Our brains are wonderfully elastic. Through gentle, consistent practice, we can grow new habits and new ways of being.
Tools that fit you. Meditation, art, music, movement, ketamine-assisted psychotherapy and good old-fashioned talking, in whatever combination works for you.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a diagnosis to start therapy?
No. You're welcome to come exactly as you are, with or without a diagnosis. If you use insurance, a diagnosis may be needed for billing, and we can talk openly about what that means for you.
Is there a therapist in Virginia or Oregon who takes a holistic approach?
Yes. I offer holistic, creative therapy, grief support and KAP to adults across Virginia and Oregon by telehealth, and in person in Nelson County, Virginia, near Charlottesville.
You are not alone in this
However you feel, whoever you are and whatever you've been told about yourself, your experience is okay, and it's even normal. If you'd like support in exploring who you are beyond any label, you can reach out through my contact page. And if you'd like a gentler place to start, my Meditation Club offers weekly meditations, art and playlists to remind you of your own deep, inherent wisdom.