Divorce and Breakup Recovery
Heal Heartache
Resolve Dysfunctional Patterns
Heal Current and Past Relationship Distress and Trauma
Therapy and evidence-based programs to heal from divorce, breakup and relationship distress patterns
My clients feel results as I provide an extensive process to heal from heartbreak and relationship dysfunctional patterns, and the associated painful effects, including anxiety, reactivity, triggers, insecurities, anger, regrets, shame, depression, loneliness and maladaptive coping behaviors.
Meet Athena
Credentials and Expertise
With 10+ years of experience, I provide specialized guidance for relationship distress, codependency, divorce and breakups. With compassion and expertise, I help you heal from the effects of relational dysfunction, trauma and heartache, rebuild your life, sense of purpose and self-worth.
I've earned a Master's of Science in Professional Counseling, a Master's in Human and Organizational Behavior and 22 certifications and trainings in mindfulness, meditation, CBT, CFT, DBT and ACT. I am also an IFS-Informed Therapist and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional.
Sessions
COUNSELING AND COACHING
Rather than traditional talk therapy or passive listening, I actively engage with collaboration, creativity and solution-oriented skills as we navigate your inner world, limiting beliefs, maladaptive protective strategies and relational experiences. I utilize non-pathologizing Self Leadership (IFS) to provide transformative outcomes for heartbreak, anxiety, self-sabotaging, insecurities, codependency, c-PTSD and relationship distress - even if you've been stuck in painful patterns for years.
DEEP WORK TO HEAL HEARTBREAK
Whether recovering from a divorce of many years or a breakup of a few months, this course is an intensive, evidence-based way to feel better, faster by healing through the five stages of Love Loss Recovery. The course is available to begin on your own and provides a cost-effective way to heal. However, I encourage you to schedule a session with me, at any point, to ensure you get the support you feel you need, especially to navigate painful emotions from trauma, regrets and self-criticism.
Relationship Distress and Breakups Impact Every Layer of Our Being
PHYSICAL / NEUROCHEMICAL / PSYCHOLOGICAL / PHYSIOLOGICAL / SOCIAL / PERSONAL
Breakups, disappointments, dysfunctional patterns, and the push-pull dynamic of 'mini breakups' within a relationship are common nowadays, but this doesn't make them any less triggering, painful and traumatic.
To make matters worse we minimize heartache... as if we should just 'let go' or get over it. This mindset inevitably blocks our ability to go through the five essential stages of deep healing so we can effectively grieve, heal and cleanse internalized beliefs, betrayal, fears, anger, shame and insecurities that impact our sense of lovability, self-worth and capacity to feel calm and produce oxytocin, serotonin and other 'feel good' hormones and neurotransmitters, and our capacity to trust, love, and connect in future relationships.
A broken heart is the worst. It's like having broken ribs. Nobody can see it but the pain is unbearable every time you breath.
What to Expect
Heal Heartache. Build Self-Worth. Learn Skills for Secure Relationship.
Recover from divorce or a breakup and heal heartache. Breakthrough the resulting depression, anxiety, love addiction, codependency, limiting beliefs, insecurities and maladaptive protective strategies. Learn to process emotions and triggers and communicate you wants, needs and boundaries with confidence to create secure relationships and overall well-being.
Inner Healing
Creating Balance Within
Step-by-step process for breakup recovery
Cleanse regrets, shame and resentment
Resolve insecurities, loneliness, inner-berating
Build boundaries, self-worth and confidence
Remedy Childhood Emotional Neglect (CEN)
Heal relational trauma and complex-PTSD
Process painful emotions and triggers
Strengthen your Soothing System for more calm
Align with your values and sense of purpose
Increase capacity for love, trust and relationship
Relational Healing
Creating Balance in Relationships
Mindfully respond to triggers instead of reacting
End codependency, enabling and enmeshment
Learn to speak your forthright, Unarguable Truth
Transform resentment into clear expectations
Understand your genuine wants, needs and limits
Feel seen, heard, valued and respected
Resolve conflict and create agreements
Capacity to connect, love and trust
Build balanced boundaries and protection
Remain out of the Dreaded Drama Triangle
Feel Real Results
"I just wanted to say thank you for you gift. It is wonderful... for the first time in my life, I am seeing and feeling healing!!!!"
More Than Talk Therapy
"Truly grateful for all you have done for me. I can feel such a shift. I have had dozens of therapists throughout my life, but have never felt more valued and understood. Thank you for helping me live my life again."
Expert Guidance
"I feel so lucky to have found you as my expert guide - helping me through the rough waters of divorce and on the road back to myself. You've made such a difference in such a short time."
Restore Confidence
"Thank you for all your help over the past several weeks. I feel amazingly better because of you. You have definitely restored my self-worth and pushed my confidence to move forward with my life and career."
Heal Heartache Fast
"I hope you have a smile knowing how you are really having a healing impact on other people because of what you walked through yourself. Thank you for personally understanding divorce and getting me through heartache so fast."
Calm Anxiety
"I wouldn’t have found my way back to myself without you. I went from daily panic attacks and crushing anxiety to now I can totally calm myself. You are the best."
Featured On
Five Stages of Love Loss Recovery
Therapy and Coursework
Empowering. Educational. Transformative.
Learn to Heal Through Each Stage and Feel Better Faster.
With compassion and expertise, I provide an empowering, action-oriented approach for you to heal so you can feel better, faster. S.W.I.R.L provides an overview of the essential stages of healing from a breakup, as adapted from psychotherapist, Susan Anderson. I provide coursework as a major factor in my clients healing and feeling results. Remember, all healing is self-healing. A doctor helps set and caste a broken bone so it heals properly, but it is your body that mends the cellular tissue. Similarly, psychotherapy provides awareness and guidance to heal more efficiently and effectively but it is your mind and body that does the actual grieving, releasing, rebuilding and overall healing.
S.W.I.R.L.
Lifting
Shattering
Rage
S.W.I.R.L. Overview
Healing is Imperative to Prevent Long-Term Consequences
SWIRL can last for weeks, months, or years without proper healing, stuck SWIRL-ing through symptoms over and over, showing up in future relationships and impacting your emotional, mental and physical health, resulting in avoidance tactics, maladaptive coping methods, self-medicating and addictive behaviors, low self-worth, pathological loneliness, conflict and relationship dysfunction, anxiety and depression, reduced immune function, chronic inflammation and other serious, stress-related medical conditions such as heart disease.
Shattering
PRIMAL STRESS RESPONSE
Devastation, anxiety, even panic attacks. Likely the most painful stage and you'll find yourself looping back into until fully healed. Ignites FIGHT/FLIGHT stress response as in life-threatening situations! Your nervous system is responding as if you are lost in the middle of the forest alone forever.
Withdrawal
CRAVINGS AND LONELINESS
Acute “neuro-biological crisis” similar to heroin withdrawal, as it involves the opioid system. Increase in adrenaline and cortisol, shifts in serotonin and dopamine so you to feel 'on edge' with digestion issues and more. Wrenching loneliness and may idealize ex, looping thoughts or obsessing for a new 'love fix.'
Internalizing
REGRET, SHAME, SELF-BERATING
Most critical stage when your heartbreak “wound” is susceptible to “infection” because it impacts your core and self-worth. To feel somewhat in control, we direct anger at ourselves with self-indictment and even self-hate. Our mind would rather feel powerful than powerless, so we take on an unrealistic amount of the blame.
Rage
EXTERNALIZED PAIN
Turning point in the healing process when you refuse to accept all the blame. Stems from prolonged feelings of helplessness and depression. Surges of anger and retaliation fantasies towards your ex or displaced on others. Learn healthy anger-processing tools, as this is essential to fully healing.
Are you stuck looping in heartache?
What symptoms are you experiencing?
What healing stage are you in?
Are past breakups impacting you now?
