Hello! My name is Rachael and I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who has several years of experience in the field of mental health working in agencies, schools, group homes and private practices. Empathy is my strength, and I utilize this, warmth, validation, and honesty in working with clients to help them create the change they've been longing to achieve but maybe thought wasn't possible. Whether you're seeking therapy to process and learn to cope with painful life experiences, depression, anxiety, body image and eating concerns, strained family relationships, a partnership where you both just can't seem to connect or see eye to eye like you used to - I'd love to help! My training has allowed me to view mental health concerns and life's struggles in a way that takes into consideration not only you as an individual, but the relationships within your life and how they both positively and negatively impact you. I'm here to provide support, strategies, a calming presence and an empathetic ear to help facilitate meaningful change in your life and show you that we're all doing the best that we can every day, and that we can learn lessons and find glimmers of hope in our everyday existence. I'm adept at helping my clients reframe difficult thoughts that can overtake the mind and impact your ability to have the happy, healthy life that you deserve. I can help clients recognize that our perceptions are our reality, but maybe at times we can benefit from shifting our perspectives to allow us to see beyond the confines that we, and others, have created for us.
Our first session will be an intake session to ensure that you find me to be a good fit for your needs, and to ensure that I am best able to help you with the challenges you're facing. I always encourage you to ask any questions you may have of me, and I will definitely have questions for you! I'll review my policies, have you share in your own words what is bringing you to therapy and get all relevant history from you, and I'd love for you to share with me anything else you think it's important for me to know. Sessions are always led by you, and this is no different - I'll just be asking more standardized questions to get the full picture of you!
I have my own lived experience that adds to my educational and occupational experience and allows me to better understand my clients, empathize with them, and create a warm and safe environment for them to heal from both past and present wounds. I believe in holding clients accountable and challenging them, but never in a way that will be detrimental to them, or to our therapeutic relationship. I will push clients to do the work, and I like to think they always are thankful for this later. I am willing to meet my clients where they are at, listen to their feedback, and prioritize their needs and well-being above all else. I'm here for you, and I will be patient, kind and understanding, because I know how painful it can be to unlearn old habits, re-write stories that have been drilled into our heads, and revisit some of life's most difficult moments. I pull from a variety of different types of therapy, interventions, and skills to tailor my treatment to what you need most.
Rachael Medina offers therapy covered by Husky Health and Medicaid in Connecticut.
As a marriage and family therapist, I view client problems through the lens of the relationships and connections in their lives. I understand that we are all a part of a much larger system that, inevitably, has both positive and negative impacts on our lives, mood, and mental health.
I believe that in order to allow for change in our lives, we have to understand the power of our thoughts and how they inform out behavior, while also understanding that it is within our control to change the way we think about and view ourselves, challenges we encounter, and solutions to these problems.