Hello! I’m Margie. My love of the arts and engaging in the creative process for healing and personal growth naturally led me to the field of therapy. I see the therapeutic process as infinitely creative! My practice draws from years of training in art therapy, mindfulness, Jungian psychology, Internal Family Systems Therapy, Mindfulness practice/philosophy, somatic awareness, and the polyvagal theory. Being that each person enters therapy with their own unique perspectives and needs, we will work together to incorporate the tools that are most effective for accomplishing your goals. It’s easy to lose touch with the innate creative energy that we all possess. We get weighed down in chronic patterns of stress and exhaustion. The 'shoulds', self-criticism, limiting narratives, and dysfunction in our relationships keep us stuck and disconnected. I believe that therapy has the potential to allow access to our true nature- the space of wholeness where there is infinite potential for growth, empowerment, and evolution. “It is only in being creative that the individual discovers the self” D.W. Winnicott It’s never too late to rediscover what may seem lost or even at times irrelevant. Maybe loss, pain, or disappointment seem too overwhelming. I hope we can start a conversation that will encourage you on your journey to living your best life. I would like to partner with you to provide a creative space where you will have the chance to listen deeply to yourself, be curious, find your voice, and be empowered!
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
In our first session together, we will talk about what brings you to therapy as well as goals and expectations that you may have. I will briefly discuss what to expect, as well as answer questions about the process. I will invite you to share what you feel is important for me to know about your story and the direction that you would like to take as we begin this journey together.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
I have been a therapist since 2007 and received my license as a mental health counselor in Florida in 2009. I became licensed in the state of Georgia in 2012. I have over 10 years of professional practice experience in both the inpatient and outpatient settings of mental health care. I have worked with a wide range of mental health issues and served clients from childhood to later adulthood. I received my master's degree in art therapy from NYU and completed much of my internship work at the Bellevue Hospital adolescent inpatient psychiatric unit in New York City. Over the past three years, I have been training in Internal Family Systems Therapy or IFS. I am currently a Level 1 IFS therapist continuing my training with the IFS Institute. My training, creative work, love of learning, and personal healing journey inform my work as a therapist. Most importantly, I am not the authority with all of the answers for anyone's life but a guide to help you on your journey to connecting with your internal system to uncover your unique path to wholeness. Let's get curious and creative!
Describe the client(s) you are best positioned to serve.
Young and older adults as well as adolescents. Clients with anxiety disorders, depression and other mood disorders, trauma, adjustment difficulties, women who struggle with work/ life balance/ stress relating to mothering, issues related to perimenopause and menopause, creative blocks, spiritual crises, stress associated with physical illness, end of life issues, stress management, and self-esteem issues.
About Margie Kurtz
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VirtualMy treatment methods
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
My training and personal experience with IFS has been life changing! I have been studying and practicing IFS both personally and professionally for the past three years. I am currently a Level 1 IFS therapist and plan to continue training and consultation with the IFS Institute to further develop my skills and knowledge for my own personal growth and in order to be a better guide for clients in their journeys of healing. IFS theory embraces the understanding of healthy multiplicity of the mind as the psyche's way of moving toward healing and wholeness. IFS challenges us on a deep level to stop the internal fight and move toward better understanding and helping the aspects of ourselves that behave in ways which lead to suffering. Through deeper understanding and connection, we learn to see these "parts" as protectors with good intentions trying to maintain safety from the more vulnerable aspects of ourselves that are often stuck in past trauma. In this process, we also learn to access an aspect of ourselves that is whole and equipped with everything necessary for healing and personal growth- referred to in IFS as Self-Energy. IFS work can look different depending on each individual's journey and preferences. IFS can be an experiential process of getting to know parts through direct connection and dialogue in session. It can also be used as a tool for developing insight into patterns and beliefs that lead to getting stuck in destructive behaviors in order to access more of our innate creative potential.
Somatic
It's easy to forget that our bodies and minds are just aspects of one whole. Current research in trauma and neuroscience suggests that our emotional states are inseparable from the physical states of our bodies. Somatic awareness is integral to deep healing and growth, as it creates a more understandable map of where to go and what to do in our healing journeys. My training in the Polyvagal Theory, IFS, yoga, and Mindfulness have contributed to my understanding about the importance of listening to the body as a crucial aspect of overall wellness. Somatic interventions vary, but I use strategies from the poly-vagal theory to help clients better understand personal triggers and cues from their nervous systems that lead to symptoms. Then I can help clients develop personalized methods for calming their nervous systems- creating more space for choice and creativity.
Mindfulness-Based Therapy
I began my Mindfulness journey about 17 years ago as a new therapist working in a demanding, fast-paced community mental health facility. I knew I needed to expand my ability to self-regulate and cope with my rising stress levels. I was intrigued by the soft simplicity of looking at the world through a different lense than that of my conditioned automatic way of seeing. Incorporating the basic tenets of mindfulness have been an important part of my personal growth work and in helping clients in their journeys. I incorporate mindfulness philosophy and strategies into my therapy practice as a foundational framework for the other modalities that I use. I believe that seeing what is here now with compassion, non-judgment, and acceptance is key to accessing our inner healing capabilities.