Congratulations on taking a great first step in caring for yourself! Therapy is a choice, and the process will ultimately be empowering, but can also be difficult at times.

I am warm and compassionate, but also direct and genuine in my approach. And I believe humor is a great tool for reducing the power our fears and anxieties have over us. My roots in humanistic and client-centered therapy hold me to making sure that the folks I work with know and feel it is safe to be vulnerable, and that I am alongside them as they take the necessary risks in order to stretch, heal, and grow stronger in their values and sense of self. 

As an expert in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), I will help you understand and become more mindful of the connection between how you think, feel, and respond. Because we feel our emotions physically, too, I teach mindfulness-based strategies and emotional coping skills (e.g., DBT), and use positive psychology and strengths-based approaches so you can truly appreciate your capacities for tolerating discomfort, healing, growing, changing, and ultimately achieving a sense of greater wellbeing.   Changing usually means moving through the hard stuff, either back to ourselves or in some cases toward freeing or redefining ourselves and our goals for what’s next. In this work I also use principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Motivational Interviewing. 

Let me know if I can help in one of the following ways…

  

Counseling/ Coaching

  • Individual Therapy

    For older adolescents and adults through their lifespan, dealing with challenges related to:  

    - Anxiety and depression

    - Life transitions and general stress management

    - Trauma recovery 

    - Grief and loss process

    - Existential crisis and challenges

    - Spirituality, faith, and personal values

    - Mental health aspects of coping with learning differences and ADHD 

    - Identity development, coping, and resilience (including facing discrimination, racial stress, and systemic oppression).  

    Note:

    While I incorporate DBT principles into my practice, at this time I only work with folks who can maintain physical safety between sessions. I'm not specialized in treating substance abuse, eating disorders, psychosis, mania, or autism spectrum disorders. However, if these issues are secondary to anxiety, depression, or trauma, we may be able to work well together, especially with the support of other professionals.

  • Family Therapy

    Often when someone is hoping to make important changes in their lives, they need the support of those closest to them.  And sometimes the very relationships we have with those closest to us can feel strained or difficult. 

    Family therapy is an additional meeting format that includes a combination of members of a family who want the system itself to shift in a healthier, more fulfilling direction. Some topics that I help families address include: communication skills, getting on the same page as co-parents (whether still romantically united or not), establishing healthier emotional boundaries and behavior, forgiveness and healing from hurts, and coping with life changes together. 

  • Group Therapy

    There are many powerful benefits of group therapy, including social support, different perspectives on problem-solving, and a chance to learn from and teach others going through similar life challenges. Group therapy is not simply a handful of people showing up at the same time. It requires care and consideration for a helpful “fit” and the emotional safety of all members. This is why all potential group members meet individually with Dr. Stewart first for an initial intake session (or two) to discuss presenting concerns and assess symptom severity, needs, and goals to determine if the current group is appropriate for each person. 

    If you are interested in hearing more or finding out what therapy groups are available, please contact Dr. Stewart.  

  • Coaching

    Coaching is a process that helps you find clarity about the difficulties preventing you from moving forward or making changes you want to make in your life, habits, and relationships. Through coaching, you can clarify your priorities, discover areas of healing and growth, identify your strengths and how to use them to compensate for weaknesses holding you back, and overcome other barriers to the happier, healthier, more fulfilling life you want. Coaching can help you: 

    - Plan the next steps of your career 

    - Transition through life phases or situations

    - Make health-related changes, such as lose weight or sleep better 

    - Improve personal skills like communication or time management 

    - Discover your passions and interests

    - Understand your strengths and vulnerabilities better

    - Heal from broken relationships

    - Parent more effectively

    - Pursue a more fulfilling life partnership


    Coaching is not a medically necessary service for a medical condition and, therefore, it would not be reimbursable through out-of-network benefits.