Bergan McArdle

Life can be messy, overwhelming, and sometimes just plain hard. You don’t have to have everything figured out before coming to therapy. My goal is to create a space that feels like sitting around a campfire—warm, grounded, and safe enough to let your guard down. A place where you can show up exactly as you are, without judgment or pressure to be anyone other than yourself.

I’m here to meet you where you’re at while helping you find your path forward. I believe therapy is not about changing who you are—it’s about understanding yourself more deeply, healing from what has shaped you, and creating a life that feels authentic and meaningful.

I have worked in the mental health and substance use field since 2018. I began my career as a Substance Use Disorder Counselor (SUDC) in residential treatment before earning my Master of Social Work from the University of Utah in 2023. Since becoming an LCSW, I have continued working in residential treatment supporting individuals with complex mental health and substance use concerns.

I have experience working with trauma and PTSD, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, substance use, and family and relationship challenges. I enjoy working with individuals and families of all dynamics to improve communication, navigate conflict, and build healthier boundaries.

My hope is to help you reconnect with your strengths, better understand your story, and feel empowered to become the most authentic version of yourself.

My approach to therapy is rooted in compassionate directness. I believe therapy should be a space where you feel safe enough to be your authentic self while also feeling supported in making meaningful change.

I’m here to meet you where you’re at while helping you find your path forward. This means creating a warm, nonjudgmental space where you feel understood, while also being willing to gently challenge you, ask thoughtful questions, and help you recognize patterns that may no longer be serving you.

I believe growth happens when we can be honest with ourselves. Sometimes therapy means offering compassion to the parts of ourselves that have been hurting. Other times, it means having honest conversations about behaviors, beliefs, or patterns that may be keeping us stuck. I strive to balance empathy with accountability in a way that feels supportive and respectful.

I bring authenticity, curiosity, and humor into the therapy room because healing does not have to feel intimidating or overly clinical. I use an integrative approach tailored to your needs, drawing from EMDR, DBT, CBT, ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), psychodynamic therapy, and trauma-informed care.

My goal is not to “fix” you or create a different version of you. You are not a problem to solve. My goal is to help you better understand yourself, heal from what has shaped you, and build a life that feels aligned with who you truly are.

Your first session is a chance for us to get to know each other and begin building a foundation for our work together. We’ll talk about what brought you to therapy, what you’ve been experiencing, and what you hope to gain from the process.

I’ll spend time learning about your story, your strengths, your current challenges, and what feels most important for you to work on. Together, we’ll begin identifying goals for therapy and discuss how we can tailor our work to best support your needs.

You don’t need to have everything figured out before your first session. Many people come to therapy unsure where to start, and that’s okay. My role is to help guide the conversation while creating a space where you feel comfortable being yourself.

By the end of our first session, my hope is that you feel heard, understood, and confident that you have a space where you can begin your healing journey.