More on Coreen
Reconnecting with my true self and getting in touch with my values helped me realize that in order to feel that sense of belonging I had been searching for, I needed to let go of “fitting in” to my environment and to just be me. - Coreen
The story.
Growing up, I often felt out of place. With my multicultural background, my Jewish upbringing, and my American lifestyle, I was always trying to juggle the many different parts of my identity and never really felt like I “fit in”. I wanted so badly to be accepted by others and to feel a sense of belonging that I lost sight of my true self - I became influenced by cultural conditioning, other people’s opinions, and inaccurate conclusions I drew as a kid that became beliefs about who I needed it to be in this world. It took me quite some time to see that changing who I was to “fit in” wasn’t the answer. Reconnecting with my true self and getting in touch with my values helped me realize that in order to feel that sense of belonging I had been searching for, I needed to let go of “fitting in” to my environment and to just be me. Learning to accept my authentic self and live a life of my own rather than one based on other people’s expectations has been a challenging, yet worthwhile journey, that I hope to accompany others on throughout my career as a therapist.
It has been on this journey that I have seen the different ways our world can often get in our way. From the choices made by others that we’ve had little to no say in, to the choices we’ve made ourselves that we may regret down the road - our lives are constantly being shaped by a variety of variables. And in witnessing the many things we don’t have control over, I learned the value in grasping onto the things we DO have control over. When life gets heavy and we’re feeling stuck or weighed down, it can be both comforting and empowering to ask ourselves, what do I have control over at this moment? What can I do? Giving ourselves the opportunity to explore and dig deep into our inner world and find that spark of resilience we each have, allows us to take hold of our lives. We each have the power to heal, overcome, and move forward - sometimes we just need to be reminded of that.
My hope is that I can remind you of your resilience. That I can show up for you in care and support so that you can live the life you want and deserve.
My training.
I earned my formal education through the University of Texas at Austin and completed my master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling via Walden University - all while traveling with my husband through our high demand careers and with Modern Therapy by my side throughout my graduate training. I began my training in holding space for others’ stories through Modern Therapy’s passion project, HumanHQ, which is all about facilitating connection and social health through curiosity and storytelling. Seeing how powerful curiosity and a non-judgmental stance can be to learning about others really helped form a client-centered foundation to my style as a therapist. In regards to my therapy work, I have formal training backgrounds and experience at settings like treatment centers and private practice with a focus on trauma, anxiety, depression, and addiction using evidence-based practices and integrative therapies, including Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. My main focus throughout my clinical training was working with young adults struggling with anxiety and relational issues, in which I used an integrative therapeutic approach with a focus on mindfulness.
I believe strongly in living a values-oriented life. When I work with my clients, I listen closely to their unique story and work with them on identifying the things in their lives that truly matter to them. Because it is those things, our values, that continue to evolve throughout our lifetime, that guide us towards living a life of true meaning and fulfillment. I bring a gentle and curious energy to my sessions and connect with my clients on a humanistic level to deeply understand them for all of who they are.
My commitment.
My commitment to you is that I will always do my best to create a safe space for you to show up as your authentic self and be met with genuine care and wholehearted support. Your story and experiences are sacred and I never want you to feel judged or undermined during our time together. My hope is to connect with you in the beauty and messiness of humanity because I'm living it all right there with you.