Aleksandra Chumak LMHC, Ms.Ed

After experiencing major losses myself, I know how it feels to be numb and invisible in the grief realm. Nothing is the same anymore. I will sit with you through your pain and gently guide you toward finding peace, comfort, and new meaning after loss wether it is a loss of the loved person (including abortions and fertility loss), relationships, identity, status or anything significant to you.

I help my clients to form healthy satisfying relationships where your unique needs are expressed and met. Using attachment theory, DBT and Authentic Relations principles I'll help you break from anxious-avoidant loop, learn expressing your needs and feelings, and to break free from toxic relationships with family, loved ones or friends. Additionally, we'll look into family and inter-generational history to find and release the roots of unhealthy relationships dynamics.

I utilize ACT (acceptance and commitment therapy), compassion-based therapy and CBT to help my clients grow self-esteem and self-worth, and to build the life they are dreaming about. Growing self-worth starts with changing negative beliefs, learning self-love and uncovering our values and hidden potential.

ACT is about engaging with present, noticing our experience without resisting it. Accepting all different thoughts and feelings while creating steps for a change is core component of ACT. In ACT we also learn about what is important for us and learn how to get "unhooked" from negative stories we tell ourselves.

How we related to others is greatly defined by our early interactions and relationships with caregivers. Anxious-avoidant loop in relationships is something many are struggling today. Knowing attachments styles is not enough to break through the cycle of repeating problems. But using attachment theory we can learn working strategies to healing and establishing secure meaningful connections with people we love and care about, and mostly - with ourselves.

Learning how to identify thinking errors that cause anxiety, depression, low self-esteem and other problems is important. Changing this errors and negative beliefs is a crucial part of CBT. CBT provides specific tools that can help to change thoughts and behaviors that don't work and replace them with ones that promote good mental health and well-being.