Ava Swanson

Hello, and welcome! I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), and I support perfectionists, empaths, and high achievers facing complex trauma, PTSD, unrelenting anxiety, chronic stress, and attachment challenges. I often work with college students, new parents, or healthcare workers, and specialize in working with survivors of sexual trauma. As a mom myself, I enjoy supporting new parents navigating the complexities of parenthood, and I have completed training to support mothers from pregnancy through postpartum and into the early years.

In therapy, we'll ease off of autopilot, collaborate to resolve old wounds, and create space for you to reclaim your story. I utilize trauma-informed practices, blending cognitive (top-down) strategies with bottom-up approaches that help your brain, heart, and body to feel safer. Together, we will work to identify your core values to free you up for the life you want to live. I value a therapy space where you feel prioritized, seen, understood, and invited into new opportunities for growth and healing.

In our first session together, the number one priority is your sense of comfort and safety. Your story is yours alone, and I strive to create a safe, inviting space where you can share it at your pace. This often takes time, and does not happen all at once. In the initial stages of therapy, I will utilize open-ended questions to better understand you and your goals. As we go, we will collaborate to identify when we'll know that our work together is complete. From that very first session, we will start building your coping and wellbeing toolkit, personalized to your unique needs. I look forward to supporting you!