Individual therapy for adults longing to belong
and be understood.
Sunday afternoon. Someone asks where you’re from.
You give the short answer. They nod, and you watch them move on.
You feel it again: the gap between what you just said and what’s actually true.
You feel at home in many places (but never quite in the ones others expect).
You’re an expert at packing up your possessions and taking off again. You’re quick to connect with new people…but only to a certain level.
Very few people ever get past the surface with you. Why bother really connecting if you’re just going to say goodbye?
There’s always a chapter of your story that no one in the room has read. You wonder if you will ever feel “at home.” You wonder who the real you really is…
You feel so far from others. No one seems to understand.
A family friend texts from back home: “How’s it going over there?? Haven’t heard from you in a while.”
You type an answer. Delete it. Try again. Delete it again.
Finally, you send a response that makes it sound like you’re doing great.
But you really aren’t.
You used to be so passionate about your calling. You took a big risk and moved far from home to pursue your dream.
But things haven’t worked out the way you thought. You’re exhausted. Disillusioned. Wondering if you missed something important along the way.
Everyone around you looks like they’re thriving while you’re struggling to get through each day. Everyone back “home” doesn’t have a clue what you’re experiencing. They don’t understand that your experiences have changed you, and that “home” doesn’t feel like home anymore.
You don’t tell anyone how broken you feel. Admitting you are struggling feels like it means the whole thing was a mistake.
You feel so far from others. No one seems to understand.
A notification pops up from one of your college friends.
A sonogram photo.
You tap the heart before you can stop yourself.
Then you put your phone face-down and close your eyes.
You always assumed you would be a mother someday – the little girl who lovingly dressed your baby dolls and put them to bed.
But you’ve been trying for so long. Why aren’t you pregnant yet? Each month you dare to hope only ends with the devastation of another lost dream. Hope now feels dangerous.
Every baby shower and birth announcement feels like a punch to the gut. So you quietly disappear from social media and find excuses not to be around your fertile friends.
Even your spouse seems to be slipping away. Nobody sees how much pain you are in.
You feel so far from others. No one seems to understand.
You could keep hiding. You’ve managed (somewhat) for this long…
You can keep distracting yourself with your to-do lists or your phone.
But how long can you endure this feeling?
People aren’t meant to go it alone, are they?
You can walk more confidently in your true self. You need a safe space where you can be the real you, messy feelings and all.
That’s what I’m offering here: therapy with someone who really understands – to help you make sense of your swirling emotions, grow your self-compassion, and strengthen your bridges to other people.
Finally feel seen, heard, and understood.
Request Your Free Consultation“Where are you from?”I never quite know how to answer that.
I was born in Canada, raised in Japan, and I live in the U.S. now. I moved 10 times before the age of 18. I spent most of my twenties keeping people at a careful distance – my story had enough goodbyes in it. Why push for more?
Then I met my husband. He is not a third culture kid, and I had convinced myself that was disqualifying. What followed was the slow, challenging, rewarding work of learning to build bridges to someone both so similar and so different from me.
A few years later, wave after wave of grief arrived as our desire for a child went unmet month after month. That grief felt oddly similar to the grief of my many childhood moves, and the similarity compounded it.
What I’ve learned through all of it is that grieving is vital to moving forward, and that grieving alone is agonizing. The warm, steady presence of another person makes it possible to move through your grief and find your way to a full, meaningful life. That is what I want to offer you.
More About Me
Book a free 20-minute call to see if we’re the right fit – no pressure, no commitment.
We connect over secure video, wherever you are in Michigan or a PSYPACT state.
Begin regular sessions and the steady work of coming home to yourself and others.
Likely yes. As a PSYPACT provider, I can see clients online throughout Michigan and most U.S. states. If you’re not sure, just ask on your consultation call.
It’s a relaxed 20-minute video call – a chance to share what’s bringing you in, ask me anything, and see whether we’re the right fit.
Yes. Our sessions are confidential and held over a secure, HIPAA-compliant video platform, so you can speak freely from wherever you feel most comfortable.
Will you allow me to keep you company as you sort out your overwhelming emotions?
As you dare to grieve your many losses and find your way forward into a truly meaningful life?
Reach out today.
A free 20-minute call to see if we’re the right fit.
