Find a Therapist in Chester, CT

My approach is to work with you to identify your personal goals for growth and build awareness through deep reflection on your life and the way you see the world.

I'm Valerie Allen, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. In my approach to healing, I prioritize creating a safe, empathetic, and non-judgmental space for each individual. I believe that the foundation of effective therapy is a strong therapeutic relationship built on trust and mutual respect. My approach is client-centered, recognizing that each person is the expert in their own life and possesses unique strengths and abilities. I integrate various evidence-based practices, tailoring my approach to meet the specific needs and goals of each client. This may include techniques from cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness, solution-focused therapy, and other modalities that align with the individual's journey towards healing and personal growth. I am deeply committed to supporting my clients as they navigate life's challenges, helping them to develop coping strategies, enhance self-awareness, and foster resilience. My goal is to empower individuals to make meaningful changes, improve their mental health and well-being, and lead fulfilling lives.

If you're ready to make a change, I can help. Sessions are dynamic and change-oriented. Working together I will assist you in gaining an awareness of the faulty thinking that stems from your past and learn to replace negative thinking patterns with a more positive, realistic outlook. We'll get to the root of what's fueling your struggles, and then we'll work toward applying new ideas to help you create healthier behaviors and pursue happiness more effectively. Using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) with a humanistic approach, I can assist you in looking at yourself and the world with a new perspective. You'll experience relief from symptoms, change self-defeating behaviors, and enjoy better quality relationships. My goal is to help you actively and effectively create sustainable change in your life. People tell me that they experience more self-compassion and less self-blame through their work with me.

I am a doctoral level therapist with over 20 years experience working with individuals with mental health issues, everyday problems, andor relationship issues. My approach is a collaborative one which varies with individual needs. I tend to be informal in style and actively engaged at all times. I believe that humor is an essential part of therapy. I further believe that everyone can benefit from having an impartial, insightful third party in their life. I welcome clients who might perceive themselves to be "challenging".

Are you feeling anxious, depressed, stuck in self-defeating behaviors, or in bad relationships? Is life difficult and overwhelming? You are not alone. Having the courage to reach out and ask for help is a major achievement. As your therapist, I am here to provide warmth, humor, compassion, and a non-judgmental space that can help you feel valued and accepted. My focus is to help you find your unique strengths and skills to make positive changes. Together we can work through the obstacles that are impeding you from having a more fulfilling life. Together we work toward uncovering your innate strengths, self-esteem, and resilience. My approach is integrative, tailoring different therapies designed to move past your internal barriers, helping you feel stronger, and in control of your life. Building a strong therapeutic relationship is essential to making these changes happen.

I am excited to start each session with my clients, picking up from our conversation last week, or exploring something new. Therapy is easier, and frankly more fun, when therapeutic work doesn't feel like a chore. I work with individuals, couples, and families to explore new perspectives and practice new solutions. I primarily use systemic therapies, which help us understand issues within different contexts, like family, work, or culture. By understanding your daily life, and your systems, we can explore how to evolve smaller solutions so they feel achievable. Each time we talk, we build upon our therapy goals, moving with life. Communication is everything in couples therapy. Combining our goals, or empathizing with past injuries, requires finding new ways to talk, and listen. Often the beginning of couples work requires building trust to believe and understand one another. I utilize Gottman Method and emotion-focused work to help couples to connect to shared goals and to each other. For individuals, I commonly work with mood conditions (anxiety, depression, etc.), as well as exploring familial or social relationships. Solution-focused work helps with managing symptoms and finding smaller achievements that build into bigger change over time. It's then important to evolve those solutions in natural systems, like family or work contexts.

Thank you for being here and taking the first step in your journey. My greatest hope is to be someone who can offer you genuine understanding and empathy, and to provide a compassionate space where you can explore your thoughts and feelings. Together, we will create an environment that feels both empowering and supportive, helping you move toward a sense of direction and balance in your life. My approach to therapy is integrative and inquisitive, drawing from a variety of methods to best suit your individual needs, circumstances, and goals. I am deeply curious about the complexities of the human experience, and I believe that exploring your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors is key to understanding yourself more fully. I view our work together as a collaborative process, where we explore your experiences and concerns in a safe, nonjudgmental way. I am committed to fostering an environment where you can feel truly seen and heard. This space is for you to discover and be your most authentic self, and I hope to help you cultivate the self-compassion and self-trust necessary to navigate life’s complications. Every perspective and every story has meaning, and I am genuinely excited to learn about yours.

I base my practice around two fundamental ideals: empathy and non-judgment. I'm here to be your sounding-board, advocate, support person and guide through your journey to self-discovery and empowerment. For me, therapy is a collaborative process where we work together to achieve your goals in a method that I tailor specifically to you. We'll explore symptoms that you're experiencing in the here-and-now (depression, anxiety), as well as related underlying concerns (relationship issues, past traumas, identity issues). I primarily do individual therapy with adolescents and adults and I specialize in traumaPTSD, depression, anxiety, relationship issues, college counselinglife transitions, stress management and drug and alcohol abuse. People describe me as a compassionate, caring, dedicated and fun person who loves what she does.

My belief is that with support and opportunities for self-expression all of us can grow into happier, healthier, more balanced and connected individuals. I integrate mindfulness, meditation, and art-making with verbal therapy to provide clients with opportunities for increased self-awareness and self-compassion. My approach is holistic; believing that mind-body-spirit and past-present-future are inextricably linked. Therapy is a journey we embark on together with an attitude of compassion and curiosity.

Shamni Uthayasoorian is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (MHC) with five years of experience. Shamni works with individuals navigating depression, anxiety, stress, and interpersonal issues. She also has a strong passion for supporting immigrant, first- and second-generation, and BIPOC-identifying individuals in acknowledging the pervasive impacts of racial and generational trauma, and how those experiences can exacerbate life’s challenges. Shamni has had the privilege of working as a therapist in diverse settings, including inpatient, residential, and group home programs in Massachusetts.

I support clients in building the skills to regulate emotions, navigate challenges, and create meaningful, lasting change. My work integrates my training as a therapist, behavioral scientist, mindfulness teacher, and coach, drawing on evidence-based approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT), and mindfulness. I help clients live more fully in alignment with their values, strengthen their health and functioning, cultivate resilience, and deepen their sense of meaning and purpose. My background includes advanced training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT), Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), and Positive Psychology. I also teach mindfulness-based approaches, including Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC), Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), and Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP).

My career began in 2013, working in the outpatient clinic program of the largest agency in New York serving children and families, and later expanding to include adults. After receiving my license as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), I became a supervisor of the clinic while still maintaining a caseload. This experience exposed me to clients from all socioeconomic backgrounds, relationship issues, substance use, and the foster care system. I also worked with college-age clients and the challenges that can come with that phase of life. Something common among them all was dissatisfaction in one or more areas of life, and they were seeking assistance to improve.