Maybe it’s just me, but it feels like a remarkably weird time to be a human. Navigating the world around you while simultaneously trying to show up for your obligations, relationships, and self can be complicated and overwhelming, to say the least. Mister Rogers, the patron saint of kindness and cardigans, once said “Anything that’s human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable.” My responsibility and privilege as a therapist is to meet you in our mutual humanness, provide a safe container for you to talk about the things that may not feel mentionable in the rest of your life, and support you as you learn, unlearn, or re-learn how to make your life feel more manageable.

I know firsthand what it’s like to acknowledge that somewhere along the way, things became unmanageable and help is needed to get back on track (or find a new track entirely). Among other identities I’m a queer person who is late-diagnosed neurodivergent and in long-term recovery from substance use disorder, which means that I get the non-linearity of living and growing. I’m honored to be present for and with others as they embrace the courage and vulnerability of change. One of the resounding themes across my personal and professional experiences is that we don’t exist in a vacuum; our mental health and who we are as people is continually shaped by things like our background, identities, relationships, perspective, and environment.