Identity & Relationship Stress Therapy
In Identity and Relationship Stress Therapy, you realize you’ve spent so long trying to be the version of yourself everyone else needed—partner, friend, daughter, colleague—that you’ve lost touch with what you actually feel or want.
Maybe you find yourself overthinking every interaction, replaying conversations in your head, or wondering if you’re “too much” or “not enough.”
Or maybe your relationships—romantic, family, or friendships—feel tense, distant, or confusing.
You’re not broken. You’re just tired of carrying everyone else’s expectations while trying to find yourself in the middle of it all.
Reconnect With Who You Are—And Feel Grounded in Your Relationships Again
The Hidden Weight of Identity & Relationship Stress
When your sense of self feels shaky, everything does.
You might notice yourself:
Feeling anxious or misunderstood in relationships
Questioning who you are outside of the roles you play
Struggling to ask for what you need (or even know what that is)
Feeling like you’ve outgrown certain people but unsure what comes next
Repeating the same painful patterns, even when you know they hurt
This kind of stress often stems from years of adapting—trying to be easy to love, easy to work with, or easy to rely on.
But at some point, that constant shape-shifting starts to feel like losing yourself.
If you’re always the one who keeps it together, prioritizes everyone else’s comfort, or avoids conflict at your own expense… it makes sense that you’re exhausted.
How Therapy Helps You Heal Identity & Relationship Stress
In our sessions, we’ll explore what’s underneath the anxiety, guilt, or overthinking that keeps you feeling stuck.
For many of my clients—especially high-achieving women and LGBTQ+ folks—this means:
Relearning how to listen to themselves after years of people-pleasing
Naming and expressing their needs without guilt
Untangling old stories about who they “should” be
Creating relationships that feel safe, balanced, and real
You won’t get a blank stare or a worksheet here.
I show up authentically so you can too—offering gentle truth-telling, practical tools, and the kind of compassion that helps you start trusting yourself again.
Sometimes that means using traditional talk therapy.
Other times, it means using art therapy to express what words can’t yet reach.
Self-Discovery Therapy: Coming Home to Yourself
Identity work isn’t about reinventing yourself—it’s about remembering who you’ve always been underneath the expectations, roles, and pressure.
Through therapy, you’ll begin to:
- Understand your emotional patterns and where they come from
- Reconnect with your values, needs, and boundaries
- Build relationships that feel mutual—not one-sided
- Feel grounded and confident in your identity—even when others don’t understand it
This work is about finding your center again, so you can show up in relationships without disappearing in them.
Therapy for Women & LGBTQ+ Folks
I specialize in supporting women, queer, and gender-expansive clients who’ve spent years trying to keep everyone else comfortable—often at the cost of their own peace.
You deserve relationships that feel like a reflection of your truth, not your survival patterns.
If you’re looking for an identity or relationship therapist in Richmond, VA who understands what it means to untangle old roles, question expectations, and finally feel at home in yourself again—you’re in the right place.
Next Steps:
You don’t have to figure this out alone.
Therapy can help you reconnect with who you are—so your relationships can start feeling like a reflection of that truth.
💬 Schedule a free 20-minute consultation to see if we’re a good fit.
Let’s help you come home to yourself—without guilt, pressure, or pretending.
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Anxiety
Anxiety often shows up as this constant buzzing that wont go away. It’s the tightness in your chest or the racing thoughts that take you out of the present moment and into the fear of the unknown.
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Trauma
Healing from trauma is like piecing together a shattered mirror, reflecting not just the scars but the strength that's emerged from the journey. Together, we can create a space to look at those pieces, find a clarity on how they continue to impact us, and rediscover the beauty that's always been within.