Anjalie Sukhwa
I’m Anjalie Sukhwa, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, university professor, and PhD candidate who works with adults navigating anxiety, trauma, eating disorders and disordered eating, body image concerns, chronic health stress, perfectionism, relationship difficulties, and major life transitions. My approach is warm, collaborative, practical, and nonjudgmental. I believe therapy should help you better understand yourself while also giving you tools you can actually use outside of the therapy room. Together, we will look at the patterns contributing to your distress, strengthen emotional regulation, and explore healthier ways of relating to yourself, your body, and the people around you.
Using evidence-based approaches like CBT, DBT, and trauma-informed care, I tailor therapy to meet each client’s unique needs and cultural background.
I draw from evidence-based approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and trauma-informed care. I also integrate a mind-body perspective when supporting clients with eating concerns, body image distress, chronic illness, and medical stress. Therapy is always tailored to your individual needs, values, relationships, identity, and cultural background. My style is supportive while also gently challenging. I will meet you with empathy and curiosity while helping you recognize patterns that may be keeping you stuck. My goal is for you to feel understood, but also to leave therapy with greater self-awareness, practical skills, and a stronger sense of trust in yourself.
First session
Starting therapy can feel vulnerable, especially when you are unsure what to expect or even where to begin. In our first session, my priority is to help you feel comfortable, heard, and understood while beginning to make sense of what has been weighing on you. We will talk about what brought you to therapy, the concerns affecting you most, and what you would like to feel different in your life. I may also ask about your history, relationships, current supports, strengths, and previous experiences with therapy so I can better understand the bigger picture, not just the symptoms that brought you in. You do not need to arrive with the “right” words or have everything figured out. We will begin identifying patterns, priorities, and realistic goals together at a pace that feels manageable. My hope is that you leave the first session feeling understood, with greater clarity about what we can work on together and a sense of direction for what comes next.
Strengths
One of my greatest strengths as a therapist is helping clients feel comfortable enough to be honest, even when what they are experiencing feels complicated, uncomfortable, or difficult to put into words. I listen closely for not only what is being said, but also the patterns and deeper meaning underneath it. I bring a warm, affirming, and nonjudgmental presence while also offering honest feedback and gentle challenge when it may be helpful. My goal is for therapy to feel supportive without feeling passive. We can make room for your emotions while also exploring what may be keeping you stuck and identifying practical ways to move forward. I take an integrative, trauma-informed approach and adapt our work to your individual needs. Depending on your goals, I may incorporate Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, mindfulness, emotional regulation strategies, strengths-based work, and practical tools you can apply in everyday life. I am especially skilled at helping clients connect the dots between their thoughts, emotions, behaviors, relationships, and past experiences. Over time, this can help you develop greater self-awareness, trust yourself more fully, and make changes that feel realistic and sustainable.
Ideal clients
I work best with adults who may look capable and high-functioning on the outside but feel anxious, overwhelmed, disconnected, or exhausted underneath it all. Many of my clients struggle with overthinking, perfectionism, people-pleasing, trauma, body image, eating concerns, chronic illness, relationship stress, or major life transitions. You may understand that certain patterns are no longer working for you but still feel unsure how to change them. You might be tired of questioning yourself, feeling responsible for everyone else, struggling with food or your body, or noticing that past experiences continue to shape how you feel, cope, and connect with others. I especially enjoy working with clients who want to understand the deeper “why” behind their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, not just manage symptoms. You do not need to have everything figured out before starting therapy. Curiosity, openness, and a willingness to look at things differently are enough. Together, we can work toward greater self-trust, healthier boundaries, improved emotional regulation, a more compassionate relationship with yourself, and changes that feel realistic and sustainable. My style is supportive, honest, and collaborative, and I aim to create a space where you feel understood while also being gently challenged to grow.
Treatment methods
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help clients understand how their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors influence one another. Together, we identify patterns that may be contributing to anxiety, self-criticism, avoidance, relationship difficulties, or feeling stuck. Through CBT, I help clients recognize unhelpful thought patterns, consider more balanced perspectives, and develop practical coping skills they can use in everyday life. Depending on the client’s needs, this may include thought tracking, behavioral strategies, gradual exposure, problem-solving, and psychoeducation. My approach to CBT is collaborative and individualized. I tailor interventions to each client’s concerns, goals, cultural background, and readiness for change rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach. Clients may also practice skills between sessions to strengthen progress and build greater confidence in managing challenges independently. The goal is not simply to “think positively,” but to develop a more accurate and compassionate understanding of your experiences while creating meaningful, sustainable changes in your life.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
I use Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills to help clients manage intense emotions, cope with distress, improve relationships, and respond to difficult situations more effectively. DBT balances acceptance and change. This means helping clients feel understood and validated while also identifying patterns that may be contributing to emotional overwhelm, impulsive reactions, avoidance, conflict, or feeling stuck. Depending on your needs, our work may include mindfulness, emotional regulation, distress-tolerance strategies, communication skills, boundary setting, and exploring the sequence of events that leads to certain reactions or behaviors. These tools can help you pause, better understand what is happening internally, and make choices that align more closely with your goals. I integrate DBT-informed strategies in a flexible and individualized way rather than expecting every skill to work for every person. My goal is to provide practical tools, compassionate support, and gentle accountability as you build greater emotional stability, stronger relationships, and a life that feels more manageable and meaningful.
Culturally Sensitive Therapy
I believe therapy should honor the full context of who you are. I take a culturally responsive approach by considering how your identity, values, relationships, community, and lived experiences may shape the way you understand yourself and the challenges you are facing. I strive to create an inclusive, respectful, and nonjudgmental space where you feel seen rather than reduced to a diagnosis or set of symptoms. I remain mindful of cultural differences, power dynamics, intersectionality, and the impact of social and systemic stressors, and I tailor therapy to align with your background, beliefs, and goals. My role is not to make assumptions about your experience, but to remain curious, listen carefully, and collaborate with you in a way that feels respectful and authentic.
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
I use Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) to help clients better understand the emotions and attachment needs that shape their relationships. Together, we explore the patterns that can lead to disconnection, conflict, withdrawal, or feeling misunderstood. EFT helps clients identify what may be happening beneath the surface of these interactions, including fears of rejection, unmet needs, or difficulty expressing vulnerability. By creating a safe and supportive space, I help clients communicate more openly, respond to one another with greater understanding, and develop stronger emotional connection. My goal is to help clients move beyond recurring relationship patterns and build relationships that feel more secure, responsive, and emotionally fulfilling.
Trauma-Informed Care
I use a trauma-informed approach that prioritizes safety, trust, choice, and collaboration throughout therapy. I recognize that past experiences can affect the way you respond to stress, relationships, emotions, and your body, even when those connections are not always immediately clear. My goal is to create a space where you feel supported rather than pressured. We will move at a pace that feels manageable, and you will have an active voice in the direction of treatment. I remain mindful of triggers, boundaries, and the importance of avoiding experiences that may feel overwhelming or re-traumatizing. Together, we can explore how trauma may be affecting your current patterns while building greater emotional regulation, self-understanding, and a stronger sense of safety and control.
Location
Virtual sessions
Identifies as
Top specialties
Other specialties
Serves
Licensed in
- FloridaLicense MH24610