Victoria Nelson

Life can be hard, and sometimes we reach a point where the things that used to work just don't seem to work anymore. Maybe you're struggling with something specific, or maybe you just know that you don't feel like yourself. Therapy can give you a space to slow down, talk things through, understand yourself a little better, and figure out what comes next.

I've spent the past seven years working with adults navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, incarceration, substance use, relationship challenges, and the bigger questions that come with figuring out who you are, who you want to be, and how to grow toward your best self. I believe therapy should be a place where you can be honest, feel understood, and not have to pretend that everything is okay.

Outside of work, I enjoy time with my family, friends, and my four dogs who love to go running with me and cuddle. I also love to spend my time doing yoga, lifting weights, reading, and tending to my garden. And I'm always up for trying a new restaurant and finding a reason to laugh. In my office, I have even more plants to keep me company where we learn to thrive and grow together.

At the end of the day, I believe growth doesn't have to happen all at once and we all go through times of challenge, struggle, perseverance, and success, sometimes all within the same day! Sometimes life is messy, sometimes it's slow, and sometimes you need someone beside you while you figure it out.

I want you to leave our sessions with some things you can actually use and some you will continue to "simmer" on until our next session. Sometimes that might be a fun therapeutic fact or a way to try to disrupt your clamoring thoughts at 2 am. Sometimes it might be a new insight or understanding, of why you keep ending up in the same argument, the same type of relationship, the same job, or the same lonely feeling.

My approach to therapy is eclectic, which means I don't believe one approach works for everyone. I'll draw from different evidence-based approaches depending on what you need, where you are, and what we're working on. Sometimes we'll focus on practical tools and skills from CBT, ACT, or mindfulness. Other times, we'll slow down and explore where patterns came from through psychodynamic, narrative, or schema-focused work. And when stress is showing up in your body, we'll pay attention to that too, sometimes using polyvagal or somatic interventions.

I also believe therapy can be educational, because understanding the why behind what you're experiencing can be just as important as learning what to do about it. I tend to use stories, metaphors, and a healthy amount of humor to make complicated things easier to understand—and because sometimes you have to laugh at the absurdity of being human.

We'll start with what's already working for you, because there's probably more of it than you realize. From there, we'll figure out what needs attention and what might help you move forward. You'll be the one deciding what matters most. I'll ask real questions, share what I notice, teach you what I think might be helpful, and stay with you through the hard parts.

First sessions can feel a little uncertain, and that's completely okay. You don't have to prepare a speech, have the perfect words, or explain your entire life story in one hour. We're going to take it one step at a time.

I'll ask about what brought you to therapy now, what you've already tried, what has or hasn't worked for you in the past, and what you'd like to feel or do differently. I'll also want to know what you liked or didn't like about previous therapy experiences, because therapy should be a place where you feel comfortable being yourself. And you can ask me questions, too. You're not the only one being interviewed!

We'll use that first session to start getting to know each other, make sense of what's bringing you in, and begin figuring out what might be helpful moving forward. You don't need to walk out with everything solved. By the end, though, you should have a better sense of who I am, how I work, what we might focus on together, and what the next few weeks could look like.

And honestly, sometimes there is something really powerful about finally saying things out loud to someone who is genuinely listening. You may feel a little lighter, a little more understood, or maybe just relieved that you don't have to carry it all by yourself anymore. That's a pretty good place to start.