Hello! My name is Diana Saunders, and I am a Licensed Professional Counselor. I am passionate about helping clients identify and remove obstacles to enjoying successful and meaningful lives. I work with clients with anxiety and other mood disorders, as well as trauma, life changes and grief.
My approach
I believe each of us has within the answers to living healthily, successfully, and happily! I see you as your own expert, and my role is to help you identify obstacles that can hinder you. My approach is Holistic and Integrative, meaning I draw from theoretical practices that are best suited to you as an individual. Typical theoretical practices I draw from include Person-centered, Cognitive Behavioral, and Psychodynamic therapies.
My focus
I work with individuals experiencing anxiety, frustration, trauma, loneliness, lack of life purpose, lack of self-worth, life changes, grief, and those who are ready to learn how to improve their lives to become ones they enjoy and love.
My communication style
My communication approach is to offer myself as a gentle, authentic, compassionate and safe therapist. I work to create a space of total compassionate regard and respect for the client, so you can feel at ease throughout the session.
My journey to mental healthcare
My role growing up in my family of 7 siblings was as peacemaker. Later, I had to learn to rely on inner resources, and outer ones, after a painful divorce. I had to learn to heal, and these processes taught me much, and later contributed to my therapy practice. In my corporate role, I soon learned my favorite part of my job was helping my team members achieve goals that directly assisted them in moving towards their dreams. I decided to go to grad school to become a psychotherapist, helping clients do the same, and it has been deeply fulfilling and rewarding since then.
My goals for you
This is a collaborative process, designed such that you feel totally supported and heard as we set your goals. If you don't know what a goal should be, I will ask questions to target in on the goal, and we can brainstorm together. I believe in setting positive goals, so if you want to decrease anxiety, we can use that as a goal, and add increase peace, for example. I believe that the goals need be assessed periodically and changed if you are discovering a goal more suited to your situation. Together we work towards the goals you have in mind.
My first session with you
What you can expect in the first therapy session is that I will spend time getting to know you. Most importantly, it is a time of building rapport and trust. I will have questions about why you are seeking counseling, and what challenges you are experiencing, and how you are feeling. It will be a time of building rapport and trust.