Angela Alston

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor, and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional with over 38 years of experience in human services. My background spans community mental health, correctional behavioral health, and private practice. I also serve as an adjunct professor and am the author of Normal Dysfunction, a book rooted in my own journey toward healing.

I specialize in trauma, addiction and substance use, anxiety, relationship issues, life transitions, and stress management. I work with adults who are ready to move beyond managing symptoms and address the deeper belief systems and experiences underneath them.

What makes my approach different is that I bring more than credentials to the room. I bring lived experience. I know what it is like to struggle, to carry wounds the world cannot see, and to have to unlearn what others told me about my own worth. That is why clients often tell me they reached out because they finally felt like someone would truly see them.

I offer a space that is honest, trauma informed, and grounded in the belief that healing is not just possible — it is available to you right now.

My approach to therapy is collaborative, trauma informed, and grounded in the belief that healing begins when we address not just the presenting problem but the deeper beliefs and experiences that sustain it.

I draw from several evidence based frameworks including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, trauma informed care, and strengths based practice. I meet clients where they are, without judgment, and work with them to identify the patterns, beliefs, and experiences that may be keeping them stuck.

I believe the therapeutic relationship itself is a powerful vehicle for healing. My goal is not to have all the answers but to create a space where clients feel safe enough to find their own. I am direct, honest, and deeply committed to the wellbeing of every person I work with.

I work best with adults who are motivated to do the deeper work of healing and who are ready to move from surviving to living with intention and purpose.

The first session is a conversation, not an intake process. From the moment we begin, my goal is for you to feel genuinely seen and heard — not evaluated or judged.

Clients often tell me they are surprised by how comfortable and safe they feel in our very first session. That is intentional. I show up as my authentic self so that you feel free to do the same.

I will ask about what brought you to therapy, what you are hoping to work on, and a bit about your background. But more than gathering information, I am focused on building a connection. I want you to leave that first session feeling like you made the right choice.

There is no pressure to share more than you are ready to. We move at your pace, always.