Meet Dianne
Hi there!
Feeling stuck and moving fast all the time to avoid what’s really going on in your life is exhausting, isn't it? Realizing that the patterns of your relationships aren't working, or maybe never worked, is a hard realization.
I know the feeling because I was once there too.
In my 20’s while living in NYC, I started therapy because I was tired of living in old patterns of behavior that were no longer working for me. Over the years, I learned coping strategies that I thought were helpful but, in actuality, they only kept me disconnected from myself and the relationships that were important to me. I was in a high-stress, high-powered job, and was always running from one thing to the next. Slowing down meant I had to sit in my own stuff, and I wasn’t ready to face those patterns until I really had enough of it. Therapy (and an amazing therapist) helped me start figuring out how to live in the present while starting to heal old wounds that were keeping me stuck - stuck in a life filled with stress, constant movement, and unsuccessful relationships.
I wish I could say that poof I was healed, but I came to understand that therapy would be a tool that would help me throughout my life. When I struggled through infertility and cancer which ultimately led to the adoption of my son - I went to therapy. When I decided to do IVF, which led to the birth of my daughter - therapy. When my marriage was in trouble - we went to couples therapy to try to survive. When my marriage ended and I had to move forward into a life I never planned as a single mom and a co-parent - you guessed it… back into therapy again.
All of these life struggles had one thing in common - I had a trusted relationship with a therapist who helped me to stay centered, and continue to heal. It seemed only natural that in my 40s, when realizing my career as a television producer would not be conducive to raising children, I decided to go back to school and earn my Masters in Clinical Psychology. I had a desire to walk alongside people who were hurting, who were stuck, who were tired of living in ways that no longer served them; the same way my own therapists had walked with me.
I stepped into this field with so much life experience…. experiences which were both amazing and heartbreaking. I’ve done the work that I teach, I’ve learned the skills and I’ve sat on the other side of the couch. I understand how scary, intimidating and hopeless it can feel just starting out. When we’re struggling internally, it’s impossible to engage in healthy relationships. The lens in which we see the world can be cloudy, and the story we tell ourselves about what’s happening can be skewed. We have to have a healthy relationship with our ‘Self’ before we can have successful relationships with others. But what does that mean…Self? In essence, Self is who we truly are before we’ve been hurt, endured trauma, listened to what others have to say about us, struggled, failed, and given up.
Self is a return to what is true- that we are worthy of a safe, connected life.
Everyone desires to feel seen, heard, valued and appreciated for who they are. I believe that therapy can help us clean up the lens we view ourselves through, rewrite the stories that are hurtful, and lead us to the types of relationships we’ve always wanted.
When you’re struggling, having a person to lean on that you trust, feel safe with, and can be vulnerable around is the beginning of your journey to rediscovering a healthy relationship with your Self.
If you’re wondering what it would be like to work with me, let’s start with this - I’m a ‘straight to the point’ kind of therapist. You’re not going to get a nod and a blank stare from me, or the ‘So how does that make you feel’ kind of questions, asked a bazillion times over. I’ll challenge you to really look at your life and get honest with yourself about whether or not what you’re doing is working for you. I’ll help you unpack old stories and narratives, we’ll explore old or current traumas, and we’ll do it all with compassion and empathy. That last part - doing it with compassion and empathy - is so necessary, because in order for you to come out of survival mode and learn how to thrive, regardless of the challenges being tossed your way, you deserve to be treated well, feel seen and understood, and to experience what it is to be safe while being vulnerable.
If you want more information about the fancy stuff I do - I use a variety of therapeutic approaches such as:
Internal Family Systems therapy or “parts work” which focuses on our relationship with Self
Emotionally Focused Therapy for my work with couples and families which focuses on the relationship with Self and Others
EMDR - which helps people process old traumas that keep them stuck in old or current pain
I’ve been a therapist for many years, and have learned from my clients how necessary it is to shape my approach to what your needs and goals are, instead of trying to push you to fit with a specific way of doing therapy. This is all about you!
It’s time you get to work with a therapist who isn’t just there to listen and nod. I’ve been a client, I have my own story of recovery, healing, and growth, and I truly understand where you’re coming from.
Hit that button below, and let’s talk about getting you to live life the way you want…. and maybe even the ways you never thought were possible.
I’m here to tell you it absolutely IS possible to live a life you truly love. There is always time to shift how we move in the world and in our relationships.
I’m here to walk that journey with you.