(she/her)
New to Grow
My name is Allison Weaver (she/her) and I am a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (LMFT#150838), as well as a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC #22251) in California. My goal as a therapist is to come alongside another's struggles and provide a space of empathy. I strive to ensure that I create a place to where my clients feel heard, seen, and accepted for where they are in the present moment. I seek to be a grounding presence for those I support. I have a wide variety of experiences in my initial work in community mental health, which has exposed me to a diverse population of clients. In terms of symptoms/diagnoses, I have a strong background with grief and loss, trauma/stressor-related symptoms, depression, and anxiety. I look forward to discussing your therapy goals with you and how I can possibly support! :)
In our first session, I will want to get to know more about you. I will review informed consents, limits of confidentiality, and your intake forms. I also welcome questions from you! At the end of the day, I am here to support you in YOUR journey, so I am happy to keep an open dialogue related to your treatment and answer any questions along the way.
I have been told I have a gentle presence, and I strive to meet my clients wherever they are in their healing journey. I am nonjudgmental and supportive, and I care a great deal about the clients I work with. I am a creative individual, which shows up in my work. I consider myself a lifelong learner, which means I am constantly engaged in expanding my training and education related to my chosen work as a therapist. I don't claim to know everything, and have the humility to remain curious. I am very connected in my local therapist community, and am involved in different organizations designed for therapists which allows me to learn from my wonderful colleagues in the field.
I have been working with children, teens, young adults, and families to achieve their mental health goals throughout my career– and I am happy to work with any age! Having worked with children and teens for years, it is amazing to witness the healing power that play provides. My office is very playful, and I enjoy utilizing play in my work. That being said, I meet my clients where they are, which means I do also provide talk-based therapy for those who have outgrown the more play-based techniques; I enjoy my work with young adults and adults in addition to my work with children/teens.
Person-centered (Rogerian)
At the heart of my work, I am very person-centered. This means I view the client as the expert on their life and, as the therapist, my role is to come alongside you while honoring your experiences. I am nonjudgmental in my approach.
Humanistic
The overarching umbrella to which person-centered therapy belongs is humanistic-- which views the person as the expert on their life and allows for a very client-centered and strengths based approach.
Attachment-based
Regardless of age, I look through an attachment based lens. Attachment-based therapy recognizes the impact of our early attachments in our family of origin and the effects it has on us with where we are presently as we form new attachments with other people.
Play Therapy
I am currently pursuing my Registered Play Therapist (RPT) credential, and have extensive training when it comes to play-based interventions. While play therapy is commonly thought of as something for children, there are variations that can come into play when working with teens and adults of all ages. This may include art, expressive arts/movement, and sand tray work. Additionally, I am certified in Parent-Child Care (PC-Care), which is a seven week coaching program for a parent/caregiver and their child ages 1-10 to support the parent/caregiver learn new strategies to manage difficult behaviors.
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
Many years ago, I heard the basis of EFT described as the acknowledgment that "you can't think your way out of a feeling". I enjoy utilizing EFT as a way to validate the feelings as well as provide strategies to break common cycles that may arise and are no longer helpful to the individual.