“In the end, it is the reality of personal relationships that saves everything.” – Thomas Merton
Welcome!
Relationships are messy, important, and challenging. We all need to feel loved, valued, and worthy, but it can feel like a pipe dream if you have a pattern of neglectful, abusive or alcoholic relationships. Growing up this way, you might have promised yourself you’d never end up hurt this way again, but somehow this repetitive trauma seems to follow you around. With your self-esteem in tatters, maybe you struggle to find partnership, or your relationships always seem fraught with bad communication, jealousy, betrayal, trust issues, conflict, resentment, and harm. No matter how much you try to help, things just seems to keep getting worse. Whether your relationship issues are with family, intimate partners, or grown children, there is hope! I help people unpack and heal relationship issues with themselves, in families, and in partnership.
My practice is:
- A refuge for people ready to reclaim their lives, and learn to love themselves and other people better
- A safe place to explore what’s hurt you, get un-stuck, find yourself, and make life-giving choices
- A way to make meaning of your suffering, and a transformative process that can transmute your pain into purpose, connection, and deep peace, no matter what the circumstances.
- A community in which to heal and grow that can mirror you, hold you, celebrate with you, call you on your stuff, and love you through the hard things.
- An opportunity to consider what matters most to you, and learn how to live into it.
- Liberation and aliveness. Your history and struggle with relationships does not have to define you.
How do I do this?
Our deepest wounds happen in relationship, and brain science shows that we need to heal them in relationship, too! I offer a unique and cutting edge combination of individual and group counseling, leveraging the power of community to support a comprehensive path to a rich, insightful, connected and empowered life. This goes beyond just personal meaning-making. By learning to listen, to receive, to communicate your needs, and to let go of the things you can’t control, you can improve your sense of Self, change your relationships, and participate meaningfully in shifting culture. Your work on yourself in relationship with other people has powerful implications for a world that is sorely struggling with understanding, openness, and peace.
I have many years of experience treating trauma, addictions, eating disorders, and relationship issues. Working with me is creative, intuitive, deep, and real. I love dreamwork, active imagination, art therapy, mindfulness/meditation, and somatic work. I care deeply about you, and see you as a full human being. You are not broken – you are hurting! My job is to help you rise up, liberate yourself through love, and bring your love to others in new, healthy ways.
This is not your run-of-the-mill counseling. It is soul-to-soul work.
Let’s get started! Take a look around my website, and reach out today!
Click here to schedule an initial consultation.
I look forward to connecting with you!
Rachel Smith, MA, LPC, NCC, CAS
