Andrea D'Ovidio
Hi, I'm Andrea! I've been in this field for about a decade working with all sorts of folks. I specialize in working with trauma survivors and the LGBTQ+ community, but don't hesitate to reach out even if you don't fall in those categories. Sometimes a matching personality counts for more than any technique.
I am warm, funny, and I don't flinch.
First session
Our first session is going to be all about getting to know each other. I'll have plenty of questions for you, about your present, your past, and your goals for the future. I will also welcome your questions for me! I'm asking you to trust me with a lot of painful material, so I think it very important that you feel I'm worthy of that trust. We'll talk about what has and hasn't work in the past, and what life would look like if things were better. By the end of the session, I'm hoping you'll feel hopeful and optimistic about starting this work together on your goals.
Strengths
For me therapy (as the therapist) is all about finding the right balance, knowing when to hold space and comfort, and when to challenge and encourage. At this point in my career, I'd say I've gotten the hang of it!
Ideal clients
My ideal client is someone who has taken a look at their life and realized something isn't working out the way they need it to. Sometimes this has to do with major events from the past that won't stop showing up in the present. Other times it's the thousand cuts of negativity heard across an entire childhood or lifetime that they have come to believe are true, telling them that who they are is not good enough, not acceptable, not worthy of love and care. And perhaps it's just that things don't seem to work out the way they're supposed to, here and now, with loved ones, with work, with people in general. No matter the cause though, my ideal client is someone who is ready to confront these things and do the work to make their way through to the side of healing.
Origin story
Growing up in an intense Italian family where it was hard to get a word in edgewise, I have become really good at listening. I later realized that I was also good at cutting through the noise and seeing the patterns pointing to where people hurt. I decided I should use my powers for good, and after countless hours of school and supervised work experience, here I am!
Ongoing work together
We'll set clear goals and check in on them every few months. We'll stay the course where things are working well, and try something different where they're not. I will ask you to implement changes between sessions as well. Usually nothing too drastic, I promise, but it is important that therapy doesn't just stop at the hour a week (or every other week, or once a month!) that we see each other. I'll give you tools, techniques, and assignments to practice, and I will ask about them in the following session. You've been warned! I'll always prompt, and welcome, your feedback.
Treatment methods
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
I use ACT to help us explore what the person you want to be looks like, and to help you let go of unhelpful ways of coping that may be keeping you from becoming that version of yourself.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
With this modality we go straight to the point: we work on noticing and challenging unhelpful thinking habits, as well as changing behaviors that aren't working for you.
Cognitive Processing (CPT)
This one is specifically for PTSD. PTSD has a very powerful way of keeping you stuck in the past, and CPT helps you identify those stuck points and move past them and toward a more fulfilling life.
EMDR
EMDR is all about the connection between the brain, mind and body. It uses eye movements (or sounds, or tapping) to help your brain process difficult memories faster; or to help soothe your body when you're feeling really upset. I mostly use it for trauma, but I found it helpful when working on other issues as well.
Person-centered (Rogerian)
This is the modality for when you just need to be truly heard and supported. This means I will always strive to make you feel accepted exactly as you are, with no judgment and never putting my expectations ahead of yours.
Location
Virtual sessions