I work with Autistic & neurodivergent adults who struggle with being a high achiever externally but feeling like an unsure teenager emotionally. When many of my clients come to me, they’ve become stuck in a cycle of anxiety, shame, & distrust of their own inner knowing.

I don’t tell you what to do or how to feel in therapy. You’re the expert on your life, not me, and I always trust the subconscious mind knows what’s best for you, already within you but currently inaccessible to your conscious mind. Together, we’ll uncover unconscious drivers that have kept you stuck in unhelpful, victim-based patterns. Mental health challenges aren’t a brain problem to be solved, but a message from your unconscious that you’re ready for the next level up of healing.

Hey there- I’m Stephanie

As a midlife-diagnosed AuDHDer, I’ve experienced what it’s like to be misunderstood and burnt out from trying to keep everyone happy while my hair was literally falling out in clumps from the stress and denial of my inner Self.

‍ ‍It inspires me to see my clients finding compassion & understanding for the pain, grief, and trauma their inner child parts have been holding for them.

When I’m not wearing my therapist cardigan (they make us buy one when we get licensed, it’s standard issue), you can find me making yet another espresso, holed up writing my cosmic-horror romantasy novel, or working on my PhD coursework. I’m writing my dissertation on the BDSM community and I’m passionate about supporting the intersection of the kink community and neurodivergent folks in therapy. I’m sex-positive and kink-positive as a therapist. My therapeutic ethos comes from transpersonal, humanistic, and existential psychotherapy perspectives: heavily influenced by Jung, Hillman, Kristeva and Yalom.

I have lived experience as a high-masking, PDA-profile autist and am also mother to little PDAers. I believe that not only are you the expert on you, but that you know your children and their needs better than the “experts,” especially with the paradoxical needs of PDAers. I do not work directly with children anymore (though I have extensive experience with providing play therapy and sexual abuse recovery therapy to children) but am happy to consult in a parent-education or parent-therapeutic capacity.

We contain multitudes and I promise I’ll never be a Blank Slate Therapist because you deserve a fellow human who’s seen some life, too. My office walls have heard all the four-letter words. You’re all good here.

And psst… I’ll never think you’re “too woo.” Paranormal, psychic and mystical experiences welcome & not judged here. I stan the Telepathy Tapes and will not see your spiritual beliefs or experiences as proof of mental illness or hallucinations. I am trained in an energy healing modality, which I’m happy to offer to clients upon request. I personally believe in the scientific method and also that science cannot measure or capture the vastness of our experiences or Universe.

Two things can both be true at the same time, and in working with me, you will often find me gently encouraging you to increase your capacity for tolerating uncertainty or acknowledging the grey areas of life. I am not the therapist who will give you homework weekly and pick topics for us to discuss. I’m most effective when I’m guiding you through the shadows of your psyche, trusting that your subconscious will surface what’s priority to focus on together.

EDUCATION & CREDENTIALS

  • PhD candidate in Clinical Sexology, focus on alternative relationships & sexualities. Modern Sex Therapy Institutes (in progress)

  • MSW, Clinical Social Work. Michigan State University (2013)

  • B.A., Psychology. Michigan State University (2011)

  • Two year immersive clinical program in Psychoanalytic Theory. Michigan Council for Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy (MCPP)

  • Certificate in BodyTalk Access. BodyTalk

  • Licensed Master Social Worker in Michigan (License: 6801095574)

  • Extensively trained in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) with the initial pilot national TF-CBT cohort

  • Trained in Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), completed level 1 and 2 through the Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology (ACEP)

  • Trained energy healer (we can’t bill insurance for this one but it can be complimentary to talk therapy, upon request)

MY SPECIALTIES

  • Anxiety management can include practical tools plus getting curious about the root of anxiety. Anxiety is usually an emotion that alerts us we are in conflict with ourselves in some way.

  • There’s nothing wrong with how your brain innately is wired. Together, we can map a sensory profile to identify your needs and rewrite your story through a compassionate, affirmative lens.

  • For deep thinkers, focusing on coping skills only doesn’t make for a satisfying therapy experience. Together, we explore internalized messages that can be like a mental operating system we are unaware of until we start tracing symptoms back to where they originated.

  • Many sensitive and neurodivergent folks have experienced trauma related to navigating a world that wasn’t built for them. When exploring complex trauma, we go slowly and focus on building safety and self-regulation skills first.

  • Being the “fixer” in relationships, perfectionism and imposter syndrome, people-pleasing and boundaries are all issues we can explore together so that you can feel more at ease in your relationships.

  • Find healing from childhood sexual abuse or sexual assault as an adult. Learn how to identify and manage flashbacks and begin to have a safe relationship with your sexuality on your terms.

I work exclusively through video sessions with clients across Michigan. Find a comfortable spot in your home that’s relatively private with a good WiFi connection. I’ll join you over video from my home office, mug of tea in hand. Please feel free to bring any comfort items, fidgets, or pets that would help you be at ease.

WiFi spotty? Not to worry. Phone sessions are possible as an alternative.

Schedule a free consultation