Helen Reynolds, PhD, LMFT
I am not currently accepting new clients.
I work with individuals, couples, and families struggling with all sorts of issues, including stress, anxiety, depression, addiction, relationship conflict, parenting issues, loneliness, chronic illness, grief, and life transitions.
My overarching goal is to work with clients on creating more balanced, enriching relationships with the important people in their lives, freeing up energy to spend on the things that matter most to them.
When people reach out for help, it is often when a situation no longer feels manageable and they desperately want something to be different.
Unfortunately, it can be extremely hard to know what to do when you’re in the middle of a category 4 “emotional hurricane,” or when you feel like you’ve already tried everything and nothing is getting better.
Most of us respond to emotional pain and discomfort by returning to familiar coping mechanisms that may bring short-term relief, but often don’t move us towards our long term goals. These ways of coping often involve distancing from others, or losing touch with the things that are important to us in an attempt to maintain closeness with others. Either behavior tends to increase stress in the long run.
I provide a neutral, nonjudgmental space in which people can talk freely, get some breathing room, and look at things from a different perspective. I ask lots of questions to help people:
This process helps people to feel calmer, clearer, and more centered; to take things less personally; and to get more creative about how to move forward.
Sessions can be scheduled weekly, or every 2-4 weeks.
Individual: this can be a great way to process what’s going on in a judgment-free space. Sometimes after working individually for a while people choose to bring a family member to a session.
Couples: I typically encourage each member of the couple to talk directly to me as much as possible throughout the session. This helps to break the feedback loops that are created when people get caught up in their reactivity to each other’s reactivity. Such conversations are typically calmer, less triggering to the limbic system, and make it possible for each person to listen less defensively.
Kids: I have 20+ years experience working with children as an educator, and 10+ years working with children in a therapeutic setting. I offer 1:1 sessions for kids and I think that it can help to decrease tension for the whole family. However, when working with children I always encourage parents to attend at least some of the sessions, and I believe that I can be most helpful to the family by working predominantly with one or more of the parents.
Art therapy: I offer art-focused sessions to individuals and groups. These can be one-off sessions or multi-week projects. Contact me to tailor your experience or join a group.