Ever since I was a teenager, I have been fascinated by psychology; to the point where I would obsessively watch CBT videos at 10 o'clock at night and attempt to diagnose all of the characters in movies. I remember wanting a hard copy of the DSM when I was in high school, for no reason other than being intrigued by abnormal psychology. Even before college, I was referred to as a psychology nerd, and I was incredibly eager to start graduate school. I was so passionate to start doing clinical work. "I just want to be a therapist already!" said ambitious and impatient 18-year-old Hanna.

Flash forward to years after graduate school, with several internships, large caseloads, and working in various settings, I still am fascinated by therapy. I love being a therapist. I think therapy is so cool, and I truly believe that so many people can benefit from therapy—and I am definitely one of these people.

Before I was a therapist, I was a client. And I am able to sit with others in their pain in the same ways that therapists have sat with me in mine. I know what it's like to sit on the other side of the therapy room. I know how intimidating and uncomfortable it can feel. I also am living proof that therapy WORKS. Candidly, I am eternally grateful for the therapists I have worked with over the years who have inspired me to do this work with others. My experience as a client drives my work as a therapist, and ultimately influences my therapeutic approach.

In my sessions with clients, I am very real. This is because therapy is a relational process. Life is undeniably HARD and COMPLICATED, and being a human is even more so. And as much as I'm a therapist, I'm also a human; I am a human with feelings, insecurities, fears, weaknesses, strengths, flaws, failures, and successes. Just like my clients, I am desperate to feel heard, valued and loved. If we cannot relate on any other level, we can connect universally about these very things that make us human, which also make us beautifully intricate and unique. This is the message I attempt to communicate with my clients, and is at the heart of my genuine, warm approach.

So, I will never tell you to "lay back on the couch and tell me about your problems." I will meet you where you're at (likely with a coffee cup in my hand), and we will chat—human to human. It is a privilege to listen to stories; to witness resilience and growth that comes through feeling pain. I would be honored to be a vessel of support in your healing journey, and I am proud of you for making that first step.