sheila lynch, LCSW

Hello. I offer affordable, quality therapy in a warm and non-judgmental environment. My goal is to create a safe space for you to be seen, heard and understood. I realize that reaching out for help when things feel overwhelming is not easy. Whether you are struggling with relational conflicts, anxiety, loss, body image issues, co-dependence, addictions, depression or any other trauma, therapy is a healthy place to begin your healing. I believe that this is the most compassionate thing you can do for yourself, and that we all deserve a life of balance and inner peace. In order for things to change in our lives, we may have to change. It certainly is easier said than done, and at times that change can feel more acute and painful than other times. We know, intuitively, when we need to find a different approach to working through our struggles. When the way we are currently doing things is not working for us, but against us. My approach in therapy is helping to identify maladaptive patterns and behaviors, in a collaborative way. You know yourself better than anyone, but often a fresh perspective combined with years of intense training can help identify areas of growth. I utilize a myriad of different therapeutic interventions for each individual client. I will tailor each person's therapy from Psychodynamic approaches, Strength based practices, CBT, DBT, Mindfulness, Somatic Experiences, Gotten Couples therapeutic strategies, Motivational Interviewing, EMDR and many more. You are a unique person with your own set of profound experiences and your therapy should reflect that.

I believe that therapy should not cost so much that it increases stress in our lives instead of decreasing it. That is why I offer a sliding scale for clients. As a student, I could not afford most of the therapist in this area, and ended up doing some wonderful work with a therapist that believed in offering a sliding scale. I, therefore, would like to pay it forward as a licensed clinician. I believe in the power of individual therapy. And I believe that it should be accessible to a variety of socio-economic situations. Therefore; I offer a sliding scale for those that need some assistance based on their circumstances, such as single parents, students, and those in the service industry. If my sliding scale rates feel too excessive I will work to provide referrals for you.

There is no weakness in reaching out for help, only courage. It takes strength to look in the mirror and be honest with yourself about your fears, your insecurities and your struggles. But the truth is, we all have them. And I don't feel that there is anything wrong with having human experiences, feelings and emotions. Sometimes we just need to learn new ways of managing our emotions, perceptions, relationships and self image. I passionately feel that we are a product of our conditioning and upbringing. That we may have learned maladaptive ways of handling dysfunction because we used coping skills that were either modeled for us, or we used to survive. There is power in self discovery. There is power in understanding your own behaviors, reactions, barriers, and fears. Self awareness and exploration can create the change we seek in our lives. Once we understand why we react, hide, run, love, attach, or seek comfort in things that actually cause us to disappoint ourselves, we can break our cycle of dysfunction. This is true within friendships, family and romantic relationships as well as our relationship with our selves. Therapy is about seeking truth and understanding. It is about transparency and locating our authenticity. It is the opposite of weakness or flaws.