Pansy's Approach to Therapy

I know what it's like to struggle with being in a body, with how my body is perceived in this world. I am familiar in identifying the insidious belief that, "If I can control the way my body looks, then I can control the way others see me, how they treat me"  

I have seen that practicing acceptance and compassion toward oneself is what increases self-worth. The more that you're okay in your experience of living in your body, the less concern there is of ensuring others are happy or approving of you (I know it's not as easy as it sounds).

I don't have the answers on how to be fully healed, or perfectly recovered. I can offer to work alongside you, without judgement. To work through and help hold those parts of self-hatred, fear, panic, unworthiness, and shame. To approach them with more openness than avoidance, more curiosity than criticism, to figure out how to actually meet your needs.

If this outlook aligns with your values or you find yourself interested in exploring more, we might be a good fit working together. 

Avoidance makes anxiety worse. Working to avoid things (i.e. food, social settings, rejection, the unknown, your body, your feelings, other people’s feelings, etc.) that cause discomfort, reinforce doubts about being able to tolerate distress. 

Our work would encourage you to expose yourself to discomfort and strengthen your response prevention skills to move through anxiety. You might have to feel the fear and do it anyways, and in utilizing values-based work, we help clients ground into why braving discomfort is worth it. Frequent breathing and laughing along the way. 

It sucks feeling depressed. For real. Symptoms like little-to-no motivation, hopelessness, low energy, and, at times, a general lack of interest in existing make it quite challenging to get out of, and through it on your own. 

Forming reasonable expectations, implementing routines, and working on different responses to difficult feelings, like sadness or despair is part of our approach. Additionally, working to understand the obstacles (negative self-talk, impacts of trauma, learned helplessness, negativity bias, etc.) provides insight for identifying  and disengaging from unhelpful behavior or thought patterns. 

Whether you’re exploring your gender identity or sexuality for the first time, are questioning it all together and exploring the ACE spectrum, or have a difficult relationship with it wrapped in judgement or shame; it can be confusing. 

Though not a sex therapist, you can expect a non-judgmental, affirming space to examine and process how your life has been impacted by your gender and sexuality and vice versa. So, bring your kinks, internalized religious messages, your sexual partners and/or your polycule, because all parts of your identity are welcomed.

There is a significant overlap between eating disorders and neurodivergence. The  way your brain operates and processes is important to understand and work within. Experimenting with the best ways to implement supportive systems, reduce sensory overwhelm, and enhance your skills and functioning through evidence and encouragement, not criticism.