Therapy for Successful Adults Who Feel Disconnected from Themselves
Virtual sessions in Michigan and Ohio
You’ve built a successful life — but inside, it feels different. You doubt your feelings, silence your needs, and wonder who you really are.
You are in the right place!
I’ve been there — disconnected from my true self, surviving instead of thriving. I can help you heal!
I am so glad you’re here. Let’s start this work together.
I’m a trauma therapist — but more importantly, I’m someone who’s walked through deep pain and come out the other side.
I built a life that looked good on the outside. Others often saw me as someone who had it all together. But when I was alone with my thoughts, it didn’t feel that way. There was an emptiness I couldn’t explain, a heaviness that lingered, an inner critic that never seemed satisfied. Nothing I achieved ever felt like enough.
I broke down — then broke through.
Therapy saved my life. Literally. And it gave me back something I didn’t know I was missing: myself.
Now? I help adults like you stop the cycle of pushing aside your own feelings, hiding parts of yourself to become who others want you to be, meeting expectations in order to be valued — and reclaim a life that actually feels like yours.
You may recognize yourself here:
You long for authentic connection but find yourself stuck in painful relationship patterns.
You avoid feeling your emotions and often feel anxious, depressed, or angry.
You’re unsure of what you truly feel or want.
You struggle with perfectionism, people-pleasing, or overthinking.
You avoid conflict, doubt your perceptions, and second-guess yourself.
You feel more comfortable when everyone else is happy—even if it means silencing yourself.
...and you're tired of pretending you're fine.
The good news is that you don’t have to keep living this way.
Why you feel this way (the root cause):
You are not flawed or weak. Even though these patterns are painful, they are not your fault. You developed them long ago as a survival strategy. As a child, you didn’t receive the emotional nurturing you needed. Your feelings were ignored, dismissed, or punished. You learned that showing your inner world wasn’t safe — that your emotions were wrong, inconvenient, or too much. So you hid them, disconnected from them, and shaped yourself around others’ needs.
These strategies helped you survive. But now, they leave you feeling disconnected from yourself. You may feel anxious, depressed, or ashamed. Relationships may feel confusing or fragile — you want closeness but struggle to trust your own perceptions, needs, or boundaries. You might stay quiet when something bothers you, second-guess your interactions, or feel safest when everyone else is happy. Sometimes you throw yourself into perfectionism, people-pleasing, or work. Other times, you shut down, isolate, or escape into distractions.
Healing is Possible
It is possible to reconnect with your authentic self.
In therapy, you can begin to safely explore your emotions, understand the roots of your patterns, and release the shame you’ve been carrying. You’ll build the capacity to:
01
Trust your feelings as valid and important
You learned early that showing your emotions was unsafe — that your inner truth was wrong, shameful, or too much. With support, you can begin to reconnect with your emotions and discover that they aren’t dangerous or shameful — they are messengers, guiding you back to who you really are. As you do this work, you can begin to trust your feelings, needs, and voice.
02
Know what you want, need, and value
Survival often meant scanning others for cues of how to act, feel, or think. As we connect the dots between the past and the present, you will recover the ability to tune into and trust yourself. Healing involves asking, “What do I want? What do I feel? What matters to me?” — separate from others’ approval or expectations. At first, this may feel foreign, but it gradually builds self-trust.
03
Set healthy boundaries without guilt
Boundaries are essential for protecting authenticity. Saying “No” or “This is what I need” retrains the nervous system that self-expression does not equal danger. Speaking your truth, even in small ways, builds confidence and reinforces identity. You begin to notice that you can have your own truth without losing connection with others.
04
Create deeper, more authentic relationships
Real connection is rooted in truth and self-awareness. Old survival patterns (fight, flight, fawn, freeze) often drive conflict or avoidance. Healing helps you notice your triggers and choose responses that reflect your values, not fear. This builds trust, reduces misunderstandings, and fosters intimacy. Authentic self-expression allows others to see the real you—and when you let yourself be seen, it gives others permission to be real too, creating a relationship based on honesty rather than pretense.
05
Feel at home within yourself, not just in the image you present to others
Feeling comfortable in your own skin is about feeling safe with yourself. As you practice kindness toward your inner world, you replace self-criticism and shame with care and understanding. This creates a stable inner environment where you can rest, reflect, and grow. The more you know, accept, and honor yourself, the less you need to rely on appearances, approval, or perfection. You can finally feel grounded and secure, living from your authentic self rather than a curated image.