Additional Information About with Whom/How Dr. Fae Works
If you’re here, you probably weren’t satisfied with my answer about who I work with, so here’s some more information.
Let’s be clear, nothing HAS to be VERY WRONG in your life for you to come talk to me. If it is, sure, we can definitely work on that. But I hope therapy can also be a place for people to come in for preventative work. To reflect on the career path before you take it, to see if it’s going to meet your long term needs.
To learn how to deepen relationships in your 20s so that you’ll have an amazing connection network in your 80s. Course correct in your 40s/50s and take back your life! You still have plenty of time left. Let’s make some quick adjustments now so we can prevent damage/ wear and tear that will cost a lot later (emotionally and financially!)
THERAPY IS AN INVESTMENT FOR YOUR FUTURE THAT STARTS PAYING OFF IMMEDIATELY.
No really, which diagnoses do you work with?
See above. Short answer, I work with people not diagnoses. That may sound cheesy but it’s true. I have training and experience in most diagnoses and presenting concerns, including depression, anxiety, panic disorders, bipolar disorder, trauma, complex trauma, grief, adjustment issues, vocational issues, decision making, gender/sexuality exploration, racial identity exploration, and even things like dissociation, personality disorders, and schizophrenia.
Am I an expert in all of these areas, no. Can I even work with some of these issues over telehealth, no.
I find any existing diagnoses is less important than what you want to work on in therapy. Of course, if you have a previous diagnosis, it’s important for us to talk about that and how it shows up in your life. If I think you have a symptom pattern that matches a diagnosis and that you might benefit from being able to have a label for those symptoms or if you are interested in labeling your symptoms, we can talk about that.
I mean, I’m a hip, woke, thought leader who rejects labels (mostly joking, except about that last part about rejecting labels). So, I am down to limit the pathologizing of people’s usually normal reactions to abnormal situations whenever possible. It’s important to remember the mental health diagnostic system is a made up language that allows professionals to speak in to each other quickly. It guides treatment, but humans are messy and rarely fit exactly into these labels.
All that being said, I DO have a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology and strong training and experience. I do use diagnoses when they are relevant and helpful to the work. My specialties back in the US were trauma and severe and persistent mental illness. I have worked in high security and crisis/hospital settings. You don’t have to be afraid to bring your whole self and all of your experiences into the room. I got you. I have some limits to my practice due to the tele-health nature, but that’s not about you.
I use a direct therapy style, which means we will work together to set your goals and we will always be moving towards those goals or resetting goals once they have been reached or if your focus has changed. I may interrupt you or note inconsistencies and I will definitely call out the ways you and/or society may be contributing to your troubles (awareness is the first step to change).
I am tough but fair. I’m here to help you reach your goals. Sometimes that may require some tough feedback or the examination of patterns that may go way back. There will definitely be feelings involved, but I promise it won’t be cheesy, or if it is, it will likely be helpful.
I always tell my clients “when you get mad at me, that is when it is most important for you to come back and talk to me about it”. In general humans suck at conflict and it can create some wild patterns and lingering feelings. Examining anger and other intense emotions in the therapeutic relationship is a great way to examine those patterns and see if you would like to change them. This means we will talk about our therapeutic relationship a fair amount.
A note on how I treat trauma.
I believe traumas can be anything that has significantly impacted how you see the world or how you behave in the world (so not just near death experiences or severe abuse). Essentially, our brain doesn’t know what to do with these types of traumatic events, so it shoves them under the metaphorical rug in our mind.
Sometimes that is just fine and we just step over that part and it doesn’t really bother us. (In this case it may not be necessary to “treat”/discuss the trauma). Sometimes the thing under the rug gets attached to other things and becomes a messier problem and examining the knot and untangling it and finding a new place to put it might be helpful. I will always talk to you about and get consent around any possible trauma treatment.
I will listen to your thoughts/feelings about it, I will give you my professional opinion, we will discuss if moving forward makes sense for you right now. I will give you lots of details on biological influences of trauma and possible treatment paths. Usually trauma treatment comes later in the therapy process and I would advise you to be cautious of any therapist who starts to dive into your darkest moments straight away.
If you have a specific question or want to see if we might be a good fit, please fill out the form on my Get Started page. If it’s possible for us to work together, we can schedule a free 20 minute consultation.