Shana Suggs

I help adults struggling to form deep and meaningful relationships with others as a result of lonely or painful childhood experiences. My ideal client is motivated for change and is open to developing a curiosity about his or her inner experiences.

As a therapist, I am relationship-focused and believe that, while it does not define us, our early life experiences form templates from which we operate in our lives. Sometimes those templates or "old ways" no longer work for us meaningfully and we find ourselves stuck.

My ideal client is open to assessing relationships with others, themselves, and past experiences to bring vibrancy and enrichment to their lives. Should this be you, I want to empower you by building awareness and insight from a holistic/integrative perspective so you can respond to life with choice and freedom. You deserve to breathe easier.

My approach is warm, open-minded, and authentic. I work to create a space where you can speak openly and feel understood. At times I may gently challenge patterns that are keeping you stuck, while also helping you see that many coping strategies started as understandable efforts to feel better. When helpful, I provide education and practical tools to support growth. I also use trauma-focused approaches, including EMDR and attachment-based work, to help clients process difficult experiences and build healthier ways of relating to themselves and others.

In the first session we review standard therapy matters such as paperwork signed, confidentiality, and consent for treatment. I find that by the first session, clients may have mixed feelings of eagerness and/or nervousness to get started. We dive right in by discussing what led you to treatment and background information which may give me context. I complete a thorough history with clients in the first session so that in our second session, we can jump back in and get to work.