Emily Shefer (She/her)

Anxiety can take many forms and wreak havoc on our minds, bodies and lives. I feel that the best solution for anxious symptoms is a multi-pronged approach utilizing techniques from mindfulness and CBT to help combat existing symptoms, and then digging in deep to find the root of the anxiety and move through the fear from old wounds.

Anxiety can take many forms and wreak havoc on our minds, bodies and lives. I feel that the best solution for anxious symptoms is a multi-pronged approach utilizing techniques from mindfulness and CBT to help combat existing symptoms, and then digging in deep to find the root of the anxiety and move through the core of the fear. I believe that understanding how all of our experiences, beliefs, and feelings are interconnected is the best way to begin dismantling the symptoms working against us.

Depression often feels like you've fallen into a dark hole and lost the energy or motivation to climb back out. I'm not afraid of descending into the darkness and helping to turn on the light. We can be made to feel like darkness is shameful, when really it is a natural part of all of us. I will work with you to realize that you can withstand darkness, and begin to let go of old pain making you feel stuck.

Many of us live with a harsh critic inside of our heads. We can be so fearful of incurring negative reactions from others that we begin to inflict the reaction on ourselves. I will help you to understand the origins of your inner-critic, and aid in shifting your perspective. Together we can work on ways for you to become more gentle with yourself. By replacing the harsh self-judgment with the loving words we deserve, we can re-parent ourselves and instill the confidence we're looking for.

CBT offers us many wonderful tools to understand the connections between our feelings, thoughts and actions. I pull from the CBT toolbox to provide clients with positive coping skills, combat negative thinking, and work on emotional regulation.

I use a Psychodynamic framework to help you to notice patterns in your life and gain a deeper understanding of your unconscious motivations. This often involves delving into childhood memories to see what lessons were internalized at a young age, identifying and feeling one’s emotions, and using the relationship between therapist and client to better understand your relational patterns.

Being person-centered means that I believe you are the expert on you. I will always be non-judgmental, empathic, and respectful of you as I accompany you on your journey to healing.