LCSW, 9 years of experience
Hi, I'm Helena (Hell-in-uh)! I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with almost 10 years of experience! I like to emphasize that at the heart of my practice, I am a Social Worker and I approach my work from that perspective. I acknowledge that there are barriers we all experience to living our best lives and that certain people experience more and worse barriers because of who they are. My work is most rewarding when I get to help folks level the playing field by accessing the support, validation and compassion they need.
We usually spend the first session getting to know each other, I will ask lots of questions to get an idea of why you are seeking therapy and what you hope to get from working together. I will not ask you to go into any details that you do not feel comfortable sharing early in our relationship, you are the driver of our sessions!
I am deeply committed to supporting clients—particularly women and queer individuals—in reclaiming their energy and sense of self through compassionate boundary setting. I recognize the toll of invisible labor—the unacknowledged emotional, mental, and physical work often expected of us in our personal and professional lives. My approach offers clients a safe, inclusive space to explore and name these hidden demands, and together we work to create boundaries that honor their needs and well-being. I also try to incorporate a lot of humor. Life is funny sometimes! Therapy is hard and I find that a good laugh or call out makes it easier.
Generally, I tend to work best with adult women and LGBTQ+ folks. I am open to working with adolescents over 13. I have experience in (and enjoy!) working with adults and kiddos who are Trans or exploring their gender identity. I also have experience with and am open to doing assessments to provide letters of recommendation for gender affirming surgeries.
Skills!! Need to effectively communicate? Ask for something? Cope with a distressing emotion? I utilize DBT to teach practical skills to deal with many uncomfortable emotions, situations and feelings.
I use Motivational Interviewing techniques to help you clarify your goals, identify barriers and make the necessary changes.
Many people come to me without understanding that they are or have experienced traumatic stress. I provide a bio/psycho/social approach to help you understand how traumatic stress feels in our body, mind and social environment with the hope of making changes towards a more peaceful and comfortable existence.