My name is Allie Kauffmann and I'm a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in working with eating disorders, body image distress, anxiety, and depression. I'm passionate about supporting clients in gaining insight about their emotions and learning how to use these emotions to guide them towards living in alignment with their values to be their most authentic self. If you've ever felt "overly sensitive," overwhelmed by your emotions, or "too much," I'm excited to help you embrace your sensitivity and rich emotional life.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
In our first session I'll inquire about reasons you're seeking therapy and what goals I can help you work towards in our time together. I'll ask about your history with therapy and what has felt validating or invalidating in your past therapeutic experiences.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
As a provider, I aim to create safety and rapport with clients from the first session. I'm skilled at achieving a blend of emotional validation and honest, direct feedback so clients feel both encouraged and challenged. In my own struggles with anxiety, depression, and body image issues, I've unacceptable, "too much," and like my emotions were too big, too intense, and too overwhelming. In my own therapy, I began to realize that my emotions were a gift, not a curse, that I could use them for radical empathy and understanding rather than feeling controlled by them. I want to show clients that emotions are their greatest teacher. In struggling with my own body image issues, I've learned to feed myself intuitively, respect my body for what it can do for me, and recognize how diet culture and weight stigma were the real problem, not my body itself. Because of these experiences I can help clients use their emotions as a guide to reclaim a compassionate relationship with the body and self.