Steve LeSieur

Adults

Demand for our attention and awareness can be relentless, which makes it easy to get overwhelmed, feel stuck, or lose touch. Think of Individual Therapy as a place where you show up for YOU—for that very being you have been gifted to live this life. We all have a natural drive to adapt, learn, and grow, and we do so in relationship to ourselves, to others, and to the world. We will listen closely—from right exactly where you are—to help reconnect you to your innate tendency to grow and change in desired ways. This may very well mean tolerating more friction and tension at first. It’s alright. We will get more comfortable with being uncomfortable. And over time, knowing how you feel, think, and act—right here and now—will help you make better choices, recharge your sense of well-being, and enliven and deepen your relationships.

Couples/Relationships

Speaking of relationships, I work from the premise that they are absolutely vital. Our relationships define who we are. We do not become a “me” without them. Some of the most important relationships are our romantic, sexual, and intimate relationships. These close bonds give us opportunities to nourish and nurture each other, but they also commonly bring about stress, tension, and conflict.

Often, connections with spouses and partners come to feel heavy or harder to navigate. Importantly, communication can be seen as more than just words being exchanged; things easily get lost in translation. Becoming fluent in these “meta-languages” takes some focus and some practice. In Couples Therapy, we’ll practice slowing down communication and listen closely to what is being expressed and exchanged, so you and your partners can better understand one another, and yourselves. Figuring out what we want and where we’re coming from—and what our partners want and where they’re coming from—helps build understanding and empathy. In turn, trust and intimacy will strengthen as love, appreciation, and respect flow more easily between you.

Not all of you are content to color inside the lines with your relationships. For some of you, the choices of intimate/romantic/sexual relationship styles, types, and approaches leave you feeling constrained or limited in some way. You may be thinking about (or already) exploring alternative approaches to intimacy, like Ethical/Consensual Nonmonogamy or Relationship Anarchy. I have extensive experience in these areas and can help you to explore and negotiate in safe, respectful, enjoyable, and healthy ways. Together, you and your partners can learn to co-author and co-shape your relationships in ways that do not necessarily adhere to conventional “relationshapes.”

Teens/Adolescents

If you’re a teen, you might be faced with questions like: Who am I becoming? Who do I want to be? Who do others want me to be? Maybe you think: Why can’t my parents or my teachers get me? Why won’t they get off my back? Maybe you’re going through some kind of tough transition, or feel the need to straighten out your thinking. Maybe you feel confused and overwhelmed. With so much noise coming at you everyday, and so many people competing for your attention, it can be hard to find the time and space to figure stuff out. You probably don’t need another adult telling you what to do. So, in Individual Therapy for Teens, we’ll open up some nonjudgmental space to talk through (and walk through) what’s going on in your life so you can get a better handle on things.

Therapeutic Orientation

I orient relationally and interpersonally with clients, evoking the healing potential of an empathic, dialogic therapeutic relationship, while simultaneously cultivating compassionate curiosity. I help to develop and practice somatic awareness and mindful acceptance about what is arising—cognitively, emotionally, somatically, and behaviorally—right now. My approach is informed by humanistic, attachment, narrative, Gestalt, CBT, and existential theories/practice.  I also facilitate trauma work with EMDR.