Natasha Lacey
Hi, I’m Natasha! I’m a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor with over 10 years of experience in the mental health field and the founder of North of Center Therapy. I work with children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families navigating trauma, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorders, ADHD, relationship challenges, grief, and life’s many transitions. I believe therapy should be a place where you feel genuinely heard, understood, and comfortable being yourself. My approach is warm, compassionate, collaborative, and tailored to your individual needs. I incorporate EMDR, CBT, DBT, and person-centered approaches to help people better understand themselves, develop healthier coping strategies, and create meaningful, lasting change. My goal is to provide a supportive environment where we can work together toward healing, personal growth, and a greater sense of confidence in yourself.
First session
Starting therapy can feel intimidating, especially if you’ve never attended counseling before. My priority during our first session is to help you feel comfortable, welcomed, and understood. We’ll spend time getting to know one another, discussing what brought you to therapy, exploring your current concerns, and identifying what you hope to gain from our work together. I’ll also ask questions about your background, experiences, and any challenges you may be facing to better understand your needs as an individual, couple, or family. I believe building a strong therapeutic relationship is an important foundation for meaningful progress. There is no pressure to share everything immediately, and we’ll move at a pace that feels comfortable for you. Whether we’re meeting individually, as a couple, or as a family, my hope is that you leave your first session feeling heard, supported, and more confident about taking the next steps toward your goals.
Strengths
I bring empathy, authenticity, patience, and a genuine commitment to understanding each client’s unique experiences. I recognize that opening up can be difficult, so I prioritize creating a comfortable, nonjudgmental environment where clients feel safe expressing themselves. My approach balances compassion with gentle challenges that encourage growth and self-reflection. I believe therapy involves more than simply listening; it’s about helping people recognize patterns, explore different perspectives, develop practical skills, and discover their own strengths. With over a decade of experience working with diverse populations and mental health concerns, I understand that no two individuals are alike. I adapt my approach to each person’s needs, meeting them where they are while supporting them in moving toward their goals.
Ideal clients
Life can be challenging, and sometimes navigating those challenges on your own can feel overwhelming. Whether you’re struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma, ADHD, relationship difficulties, grief, or major life changes, you deserve a space where you feel heard, understood, and supported. I work with children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families facing a wide range of emotional, behavioral, and relationship concerns. You may be looking to better understand yourself, process difficult experiences, improve your relationships, develop healthier coping strategies, or simply feel more confident navigating everyday life. You don’t need to have everything figured out before starting therapy. You may not even know exactly what you’re feeling or where to begin, and that’s okay. Therapy is an opportunity to explore your experiences, gain new perspectives, and discover strengths you may not recognize in yourself. Regardless of what brings you to therapy, my goal is to meet you where you are, provide a compassionate and nonjudgmental environment, and work alongside you toward meaningful growth, healing, and positive change.
Treatment methods
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help clients better understand the connection between their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Together, we explore patterns of thinking that may contribute to anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, or other emotional challenges. I help clients recognize unhelpful thought patterns, challenge negative beliefs, develop healthier perspectives, and build practical coping strategies. My approach is collaborative and individualized, allowing us to work at a pace that feels comfortable for you. Through CBT, my goal is to help you gain greater self-awareness, improve emotional regulation, and develop skills you can apply to everyday situations, relationships, and life’s challenges.
EMDR
I use Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy to help clients process difficult or traumatic experiences that continue to affect their emotional well-being, thoughts, behaviors, and relationships. EMDR is an evidence-based treatment commonly used for trauma and PTSD, and it may also help address anxiety, negative beliefs about oneself, and distressing memories. During EMDR therapy, we work together to identify experiences that may be contributing to current challenges. Using guided eye movements, alternating tapping, or other forms of bilateral stimulation, EMDR helps the brain reprocess distressing memories so they become less emotionally overwhelming. My approach emphasizes emotional safety, trust, and individualized care. Before processing difficult experiences, we focus on developing coping strategies, emotional regulation skills, and a sense of stability. You remain in control throughout the process, and we move at a pace that feels manageable for you. My goal is to help you reduce the emotional impact of past experiences, develop healthier beliefs about yourself, and move forward with greater confidence, emotional stability, and self-understanding.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) I incorporate Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to help clients better understand and manage their emotions, navigate stressful situations, improve relationships, and develop healthier ways of responding to life’s challenges. DBT is particularly helpful for individuals experiencing intense emotions, difficulty regulating their feelings, impulsive behaviors, relationship difficulties, or challenges managing stress. Through DBT, I help clients develop practical skills in four key areas: mindfulness, emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness. These skills can help you become more aware of your thoughts and emotions, manage overwhelming feelings, communicate your needs effectively, establish healthy boundaries, and navigate difficult situations with greater confidence. My approach emphasizes balancing acceptance with meaningful change. Together, we’ll work on recognizing emotional triggers, understanding behavioral patterns, and developing coping strategies that can be applied to everyday life. My goal is to help you feel more in control of your emotional responses, strengthen your relationships, and build the confidence and skills needed to navigate life’s challenges in healthier, more fulfilling ways.
Person-centered (Rogerian)
I believe that every individual deserves to feel heard, understood, respected, and accepted without judgment. Person-centered therapy is at the heart of my approach, as I recognize that each person has unique experiences, perspectives, strengths, and challenges. Rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach, I focus on building a genuine, trusting therapeutic relationship where you feel comfortable expressing yourself openly. I provide a compassionate and supportive environment where we can explore your thoughts, emotions, experiences, and personal goals at a pace that feels right for you. I believe you are the expert on your own experiences, and my role is to walk alongside you, offering support, understanding, and guidance as you navigate life’s challenges. Through this approach, my goal is to help you develop greater self-awareness, strengthen your confidence, recognize your personal strengths, and feel empowered to make meaningful changes in your life.
Psychodynamic
I incorporate psychodynamic approaches to help clients develop a deeper understanding of how past experiences, relationships, and emotional patterns may influence their thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and relationships today. Sometimes, we find ourselves repeating patterns, experiencing emotional reactions, or struggling with certain relationships without fully understanding why. Together, we explore these experiences and identify underlying beliefs, unresolved emotions, and patterns that may be contributing to current challenges. This approach may involve exploring childhood experiences, attachment patterns, family dynamics, significant relationships, and the ways you’ve learned to understand yourself and interact with others. My approach is compassionate, collaborative, and focused on helping you make connections between your past and present without judgment or pressure. My goal is to help you gain greater insight into yourself, process unresolved emotional experiences, develop healthier relationship patterns, and create meaningful, lasting changes in how you navigate your life.
Location
Virtual sessions
In-person sessions21190 Center Ridge Rd, Cleveland, OH 44116, Suite 1