Lida Sportel

Hello and Welcome! I’m grateful you’re here and choosing to prioritize yourself, even if it didn’t feel easy to take this step. A little bit about me: I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with 16 years of clinical experience working with people across a wide range of life challenges from anxiety, depression, and chronic stress to relationship struggles, health issues, chronic pain, life transitions, parenting pressures, and trauma recovery. I’ve supported clients in individual, couples, family, and group settings. Many of the clients I work with are used to being the strong one, the one that holds everything together for everyone else... but who don’t often have space to tend to their own needs.

In our work together, we’ll slow things down enough to understand what’s been weighing on you and why sometimes it feels so hard to move forward. Therapy with me is practical, supportive, and focused on helping you feel more grounded, steady, and confident in your day-to-day life. We’ll work on quieting the critical inner voice, easing anxiety and stress, and creating space for choices that feel more aligned with who you are and what you need right now.

If you’re ready for support that feels warm, thoughtful, and real... and a place where you don’t have to hold everything together... I’d be honored to walk alongside you :)

I am passionate about helping people feel genuinely and deeply understood, and accepted especially during moments when they feel overwhelmed, vulnerable, or unsure where to begin. With over 16 years of clinical experience, I’ve worked with individuals, couples, families, and groups across many stages of life, and I've had my own personal journey of healing which all allows me to meet people where they are and tune in to what they truly need.

Clients often share that they appreciate my calm, steady presence and my ability to hold both compassion and clarity at the same time. I’m deeply empathetic and intuitive, and I’m also willing to gently challenge patterns that keep people stuck. This balance helps clients feel supported while also gaining insight and momentum toward change.

In my work I bring an integrative, whole-person perspective. Drawing from neuroscience-informed, trauma-informed, cognitive, somatic, polyvagal, internal family systems, and mindfulness-based approaches, I help clients develop practical coping skills while also understanding the deeper patterns shaping their emotions, relationships, and stress responses. Over time, this work leads clients to feel more grounded, more confident in themselves, and better equipped to handle life’s challenges with resilience and self-trust.

Our first session is a gentle starting point. We’ll take time to create a space that feels warm, supportive, and free of judgment, a place where you don’t feel that you have to perform or even know exactly what to say. We’ll move at a pace that feels comfortable for you.

I’ll ask some thoughtful questions to get to know you, what’s been weighing on you, and what you’re hoping for from therapy. This helps me understand your story and begin to see how we can work together in a way that feels most supportive and helpful. You’re always welcome to share only what feels right in the moment; there’s no pressure to go deeper than you’re ready for.

My focus in our first meeting is to listen with care, help you feel understood, and begin building a sense of trust and collaboration. Many clients leave the first session feeling a bit lighter, clearer, and reassured about the next steps and we’ll take things one step at a time.