Nic Sutherland (she/they)

No matter what type of therapy we are doing, the through line is our own attachment relationship; in the therapeutic relationship, we build safety and trust, understanding your past relationships in new ways and building new experiences in our own relationship, so that you can reshape your current and future relationships outside of therapy into secure, authentic connections.

No matter your relationship structure or the kind of love you share, relational therapy is a space for two people to intentionally reshape their relationship through feeling emotion, expressing emotion, and attuning to emotion. In relational therapy, we work toward equity, shared values, shared understanding, and genuine connection based on trust and safety.

Family of origin pain can feel like the deepest wound, chosen family conflict can feel like a never-ending complexity. I work with families to strengthen connection, communication, and build shared values and understanding.

I work from an Existential-Humanistic lens, meaning that our work together will be phenomenological; I will ask you to be with what is true for you, what you experience, in each present moment. This will be something we practice, and come back to, again and again in our work together.

In my work with couples and families, I primarily utilize an emotionally-focused and Socio-Emotional Relational therapeutic approach, combined with internal family systems language. This means that I am always considering the core attachment needs and influence of social power structures that we carry in this lifetime, how those show up in our interactions with others, and the ways in which we are complex beings with multiple, and sometimes contradictory feelings, thoughts, and needs.

I love utilizing play therapy techniques in my work with individuals in couples. Depending on your level of interest and needs, we may draw, paint, play with clay, or utilize sand trays in session.

When facing changes, one of the questions we often confront is who am I and what do I want to do with this short life? We may call it "career counseling" but the ways we choose to spend our days is a crucial choice, with many important limitations and consequences. Together, we can work to identify your values, who you are, and what kind of life you would like to authentically choose for yourself.

When facing changes, one of the questions we often confront is who am I and what do I want to do with this short life? We may call it "career counseling" but the ways we choose to spend our days is a crucial choice, with many important limitations and consequences. Together, we can work to identify your values, who you are, and what kind of life you would like to authentically choose for yourself.

Some of my favorite work to do is family therapy, where everyone is committed to understanding one another, and transforming their relationships toward connection and equity. I particularly enjoy working with parents and children to resolve pain points in the relationship and develop new ways of communicating.