(she/her)
Are you trying to figure out how to function in a world that feels like it’s on fire? Spending your evenings zoning out on the couch after a long day of pretending everything’s fine? Feel like you’re one minor inconvenience away from a total meltdown? You’re not alone! Don’t wait until you’re past your breaking point to get help. I’m Colleen Keyser, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker passionate about helping clients navigate hard times and bloom into their most authentic selves. My therapeutic style combines aspects of self-compassion exercises, DBT skills, relational and interpersonal therapy, and is always strengths-based. My work is frequently (but not always) short-term and solution-focused, and treats you as the expert on your own life and needs. More than any particular therapeutic lens or specific technique, my focus is on building a safe and trusting relationship with my clients so they’re able to express themselves fully.
Therapy should be something you look forward to each week as a part of your self-care. My goal is for you to leave feeling lighter, more confident in your ability to make choices that align with your values, and help you build a fuller, healthier, happier life. Our sessions will be a non-judgemental space where you can process anything holding you back or weighing you down. It should also be a space where you feel safe enough to have the unhelpful thoughts and patterns that keeping you stuck challenged - and to collaborate on a strategy to change them. Our first session will be focused on getting to know you, your background, your goals, and starting to build a collaborative therapeutic alliance.
I think my biggest strength as a therapist is that I’m genuinely curious about why people are the way they are, and that I believe there’s no topic too taboo or uncomfortable to talk through in therapy - it’s all fair game here. I also believe that I believe humor has it’s place in session as much as any other human experience - a good cry and a good laugh are both healing. We can take the work seriously without taking ourselves too seriously.
I do individual therapy and work best with those who feel like outsiders or oddballs. Creative types, LGBTQ individuals, neurodivergent folks, socially conscious people, people who want to build more social support and community into their lives. I work well with young adults and college students trying to figure out how to navigate adult life independently, who are exploring their identity, or working on improving self-esteem.
Compassion Focused
I use compassion-focused treatment to help clients learn how to be kinder to themselves in hard times.