Zoey Welch

Inevitably, life presents difficulties, and can be challenging for many different reasons. Sometimes the things that bring people to therapy are very specific: perhaps a major life transition has become overwhelming, or certain patterns within a relationship are starting to take a toll. Pressures in some particular setting, whether it is at school, at work, or at home, may be feeling too difficult to navigate alone. Other times, people come to therapy a little less certain, feeling confused and unsure about where their life is headed, wanting something more. It’s not always easy to answer the question, “What brings you here?”

People tend to doubt their inner strengths, and don’t quite realize how many resources they in fact possess. I have found that, though conversation with a trusted person, people can more easily identify and then build on those strengths. In my work with children, we often talk about expanding their “toolbox,” so that they have the skills to better manage overwhelming emotions and navigate complicated social situations. With teenagers and young adults, we often find ourselves talking about questions of identity development - the process of learning about who we are, how we got there, and what we want for ourselves moving forward.

I see growth and development as a lifetime process, and, in my work with adults, we address all these issues in increasingly varied and complex ways, while also working together to navigate complex challenges presented by a world that can be arbitrary and unfair. My past experiences, doing individual and family therapy with people of all ages, of diverse backgrounds, and difficult, sometimes traumatic histories and life circumstances, have engendered within me a core belief that with the right support and collaboration, it is possible to make meaningful and long-lasting changes.