Stephanie Dawber, MA, LMSW

I believe the purpose of therapy is to uncover the most authentic version of our lives, and then learn how to deeply fall in love with that. Sometimes it is hard to make sense of the events that have come to pass, or understand why we went or are going through some of the things we are. At the end of the day we will always have ourselves, so feeling so unapologetically grounded, confident and fulfilled with that person, trusting that we can do hard things because we have already gone through hard things, and uncovering our truest potential and strength is the goal. The purpose of therapy is to gather the tools, insights, and compassion to create the life we have always deserved and then to live that life one day at a time with integrity and faith.

The idea of therapy can be intimidating. It can feel overwhelming to begin to take a look at ourselves, patterns of behaviors, experiences we have been through, relationships, grief, loss and confront those things head on. However there is great strength in doing so. Therapy is one of the greatest acts of self-care and compassion we can show ourselves. Let’s place the idea that “there is something wrong with you” to the side and step into the idea that you are deserving of living a life free from what is holding you back. Therapy is a way to discover that. Together we will uncover what belief systems no longer serve you and cultivate self-love. I am here to hold space for you, support you, gently and lovingly push you when you need it.

There are many different mantras that I use from time to time in my work. One of the most important things I remind clients is that we can’t change something that we are not aware of. So by having the courage to open up about thought patterns, behaviors, beliefs is the first step towards lasting change. Being aware of these things allows us to work together to reframe what is no longer working for us/you and mindfully and compassionately challenge them to a belief system that makes more sense. If you are “trying” you are already “doing” so together with integrity we can decipher how to hold ourselves accountable, when to give ourselves grace and when to push ourselves. Just because we can do something does not always necessarily mean that we should do; so understanding that about ourselves is a wonderful tool towards healthy boundaries.

The way I show up for myself each day will always vary. Some days my best is slightly different than the day before so understanding how my needs change is dependent on the connection I so gently nurture between my mind and my body. Taking time to be in nature is what fills me up. Some days it looks like an early morning surf, or a long walk on the beach and other days it looks like 5 minutes of stillness to myself outside before I walk into an appointment. Just allowing myself to pause, breath and then move forward is how I recover each day. And since I cannot control the weather, some days I pivot in how I support myself. I take a yoga class inside, I lay on the ground for a few minutes in silence, I make soup. Doing one thing each day that is kind and loving for myself is the least I can do for this body that carries me through each day.