Dr. Sylvie Messer

I’m a licensed clinical psychologist who works with adults and couples seeking to better understand themselves, make meaningful changes, and feel less stuck in patterns that no longer work for them. I aim to help individuals with a range of concerns, including anxiety, depression, trauma and PTSD, relationship difficulties, and major life transitions. I value honesty and openness in therapy and bring a warm but straightforward approach to my work. I recognize how vulnerable the therapeutic relationship can be; therefore, I strive to discuss what I notice constructively while creating space for you to be equally open with me. I see the therapeutic relationship and mutual trust as integral to creating meaningful change.

My approach is primarily psychodynamic, meaning I’m interested in understanding both what you’re experiencing now and the patterns, relationships, and experiences that may be contributing to it. I strive to understand your symptoms, how they affect your daily life, relationships, and overall well-being, and work with you to identify what you would like to change. While diagnosis can provide useful information, I don’t believe a diagnosis alone captures a person's complexity. My approach emphasizes curiosity about your lived experience and what may be getting in the way of living the life you want. I integrate evidence-based approaches and have specialized training in trauma and PTSD, including Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT).

Our first session is an opportunity to get to know one another and determine whether working together feels like a good fit. This first session will typically be longer than subsequent sessions. We will discuss what brought you in, what you’ve been experiencing, how it is affecting your life, and what you hope will be different through therapy. You’ll have time to ask questions about me, my approach, and what therapy together might look like. Based on what we learn during the intake, we’ll begin putting together a flexible game plan for treatment—what feels most important to address and how we might approach the work. Sometimes that intake process takes more than one session, and throughout therapy we’ll continue to check in on what’s working, revisit your goals, and adjust our plan as your needs and priorities evolve.