I moved to St Petersburg, Florida with my partner at the time, and a year after moving in together we broke up and my life completely changed. It was the end of my first serious relationship, and I now had to find out who I was outside of this relationship and also become completely independent for the first time in my life. I was so scared to trust in my own strength that I often sacrificed my own independence and leaned on other people. I was no longer in the same state as my parents, and no one but me could rescue me now. This was incredibly difficult for me to navigate, but it helped jumpstart me finding my purpose and then gaining the strength to follow it.

This was my dark night of the soul where I learned how to fully take care of myself and to not just survive, but thrive. I knew that I needed to be able to provide for myself and be my own partner. I was the baby and also the mother and father who needed to take care of the baby. Dealing with OCD and depression on top of that made things more challenging, but it also taught me that I needed to take extra care of myself in order to get to the good part of life, the part of life that my soul needed.

I believe that we are all spiritual beings who have chosen this human experience for a reason. We don’t always know this reason, but we are on this Earth at this time with these people for a reason, and everything is as it should be, even when it feels strange and uncomfortable. I want to be able to help guide you through this crazy, overwhelming human experience, and help you remember and reignite what it is you came here to do. Our minds often take us away from our purpose, and we get so drained tending to our mental health that we are not able to live joyfully.

I can help you reignite your inner child-like wonder, finding joy in the present moment and moving through the worries that might be holding you back. If you know that there is something more out there than the life you are currently living and you need someone to guide you, help check your blindspots, and hold the lantern for you as you illuminate your shadows, I am that person for you. The techniques I am passionate about are creative and expressive as well as somatic and body informed therapies. I believe that once we are able to regulate our body and our nervous system, we have the strength to move through negative thoughts.
I also believe that joy and a positive atmosphere can enhance the therapeutic experience. I incorporate elements of playfulness, creativity, and lightheartedness when appropriate, fostering an environment where laughter and enjoyment coexist with the healing process.

I have been where you are. Overwhelmed, stressed, looking for clarity, wanting to rediscover my purpose, and unsure of how to move forward. I had so many ideas of where I wanted to go, but I had no idea how to get there. I knew I could be successful and have a happy life, I just didn’t know how to get there. I was 22 and I had been living in Arizona for 15 years. I was getting my Bachelors and I felt lonely and trapped, but doing something different scared the shit out of me. I yearned for more. However, I couldn’t imagine being in a separate state from my family.

 Despite this fear, I was getting all of these messages from the universe that I couldn’t live in Arizona anymore–my purpose was elsewhere and I needed to spread my wings and do something different from what my family was doing. I knew in my heart that I couldn’t work a corporate 9-5 job and that I needed to be able to make my own schedule and live life freely and on my own terms. I needed to do something different and unconventional. 

Alli is a graduate student at Troy University and is doing her practicum with us at Integrative Counsel. She will be under direct supervision with the team at IC so you will be getting incredible care. Her student intern fee is $55 a session, making it very accessible for folks who otherwise could not afford incredible mental healthcare.