The time & space for you
You are committed to serving your clients and community at the highest level. You’ve gotten training after training, hoping that you will feel competent and like you belong this time. This sense of not being good enough haunts you and keeps you from trusting yourself. You make yourself small, keep your voice quiet, and hope no one finds out you don’t belong.
You dream about what you want to create for yourself. That training you want to do. That talk you want to give. The fee increase. The freedom you want to create. The healthy, loving relationships you want to pursue. Yet, it somehow feels like a life for someone else.
You try to take steps, make lists, and get motivated but feel stuck. It’s close, and yet so far. Like being asked to jump full force into an abyss.
You want to feel that you belong. That you are light, life, and a warrior. You want to dig deeper into reflection and understanding what holds you back from owning your power and creating the kind of life you want for yourself.
You’ve tried working with a therapist but fear that someone may know you, judge you, or feel some kind of way about your being a mental health provider.
It is tricky being a therapist and finding a provider. I can tell you that it took me several years in my own therapy before I was like, “Ooohhh!!! I am not consulting or learning here. This is my therapist. I am in therapy.”
It is super vulnerable. It requires looking within and building a relationship where we can share the shadow, the pain, and the shame. We know therapy is vulnerable in itself, but the complexity of being a provider can make it hard to trust and open up. We might be used to holding everyone’s story and not making time for ourselves. We might talk with others about uncovering what’s hidden while shoving our own pain deep inside.
Fears about what our therapist might think about us or what it means for us to be in therapy might arise and keep us from seeking support. We know participating in counseling is vital to well-being, yet we still struggle to get in there and do the work. Some of us come into this field with a lifetime of trauma, pain, and resilience. With stories that shape our daily interactions with others. We might relive and re-enact the same situations/storylines repeatedly with different characters. You left that relationship, that job, or that city hoping for something else, only to find all the usual players with different names.
You want more for yourself as a human and therapist. You want to feel. Dare. Think big. Heal. Honor the greatness and light within you. Grow. Level up.
You are ready, excited, and nervous about doing some long-term, deep inner work
You want to know how your unconscious impacts your relationships and how you see yourself. You want to support clients in digging deeper. You want to examine transference and countertransference. To examine the things you bring up in counseling and those that you avoid or don’t come up. You want to explore the dynamics of your inner world and your life. You want to experience the shifts and the work your clients are having with you.
You want a provider that can support you in this journey. Someone that will help you see that which we hide from ourselves.
I create space for holding all the parts of you and help you dig deeper. My approach is psychodynamic, informed by modern object relations and liberation-centered work. The early patterns in our life solidified a particular way of being and relating to others. The Westernized, patriarchal, white supremacist, transphobic, racist society we navigate adds many layers of shame and suffering to our journey. When we feel fear, not being good enough, worthless, or something similar, it is usually a sign that there is something we need to look at. It is also an adaptive response to our environment. It is survival. Yet, a part of us is waiting to be seen and heard. We can make informed decisions when we understand what protects us, why we get stuck in patterns, and what drives us.
We can change what doesn’t work and life from a place of awareness. Deeply connected with ourselves and our light. Our power to push through. We can move from surviving to thriving. The world is dangerous, but we can learn to create pockets of safety that support our hearts and soul. I’m down if this seems like your jam.
Here are some common questions to help guide your decision
Are your services online or in-person?
I am a fully online provider.
What are your fees?
$250 per 50-minute session
$375 per 90-minute session
What are your hours?
Monday-Thursday 8:00 am-4:00 pm Pacific
Where are you licensed?
California, Florida, and Washington state
What is your no-show policy?
If you cannot attend a session, please contact me at least 48 hours in advance. Otherwise, you are responsible for the total rate of the session.
Do you work with insurance?
No
What is your training?
I completed a two-year psychodynamic psychotherapy course at the Florida Psychoanalytic Center and participated in supervision and my own therapy. I am an infant mental health specialist with expertise in perinatal mental health. I enjoy working with individuals who’ve experienced childhood traumas and want to build more positive relationships with themselves and others. You can read my bio for more.
Do you see your own therapist?
I think therapy is vital for our well-being, especially for providers. I have been in long-term psychodynamic therapy for several years. I account much of my growth to my relationship with my provider and the work I’ve been to put in for myself.
If you would like to explore a consultation to see if we are a good fit or want to learn more about my practice, contact me at meyleen@hummingbirdcounseling.com or fill out the form on the contact page. I try to respond to all requests within 48 hours.