Getting Started at Lifepaths
A Gentle Beginning, Grounded in Science and Compassion
Starting therapy is one of the most courageous steps a person can take. Whether you are entering counseling for the first time, returning after a difficult season, or seeking specialized neuropsychologically informed care, this page will guide you through what to expect.
At Lifepaths, we honor the simple truth that life can change in a single moment – sometimes in beautiful ways, sometimes in ways that leave us feeling terrified, unsteady, overwhelmed, or uncertain.
My role is to help you make sense of those moments, rebuild from them, and move forward with a stronger, more connected understanding of yourself.
What You Can Expect in Our Early Sessions
I never waste first visits with long interrogations. I want our conversation to be a dialogue. We will talk about what brought you in, your experience, and how that’s affecting you. I’ll also want to know what your goals are, what “better” looks like for you, and address any questions you have.
A Neuropsychologically Informed Perspective
Because our emotional and cognitive worlds are inseparable, I integrate brain based science into my work with people healing from trauma.
My patients often tell me they find this both grounding and helpful because it brings sense into an often chaotic experience. Understanding the human nervous system, the stress response, psychophysiology in response to physical trauma, as well as the resilience pathways and their functions, can very definitely reduce fear and increase calm and clarity.
Personalized Treatment Plans
Together, we will build a path tailored to your individual needs – one that honors your experiences, history, strengths, and goals. Your plan may include:
- Insight-oriented therapy
- Cognitive and behavioral tools
- Nervous system regulation techniques
- Trauma-informed strategies
- Relationship-focused approaches
- Psychoeducation about brain-based functioning
- Skills for resilience and recovery
As You Begin
Be curious about yourself and how your experience is impacting you. This process goes much more smoothly when we bring gentle curiosity – not judgment – into the process.
Give yourself permission to be human. Healing the brain is certainly not a linear process. Some days you may feel strong and steady, while other may be a huge challenge. Both are a normal part of the healing process.
Show up as you are. And come with your story.
What the Science of this Step Teaches us and Why it Matters:
Know that connection reduces threat response activation in threat-sensitive neural circuits. Talking to someone helps reorient the brain toward safety. Speaking our experiences out loud in a safe space can also help bring calm to inner chaos. This is essential so healing can occur.
As we name our experience, cortical and limbic systems begin to integrate, which builds emotional regulation and narrative coherence. In other words, we gain clarity not only in what we have experienced but can begin to make sense of it.
Predictability calms the nervous system, so getting answers to the questions we have is key. Understanding the healing process also reduces the fear inherent in the not always knowing what to expect next.
And remember, resilience is built in healthy, supportive relationships. The brain heals best within attuned, stable connections – not in isolation.