Alison Gurley PsyD

Many of us are trying to figuring out what kinds of partnerships we want in our lives. Whether that be with romantic partners, friends, or family, we struggle to navigate relationships in ways that honor both our need for connection and our need for boundaries. Sometimes, it's hard to even know what kinds of connections or boundaries we need. Therapy is an opportunity to reflect on what healthy relationships mean for us as individuals, and set concrete goals to achieve them

Navigating our identities is challenging for us all, but made even more challenging in a world that does not affirm who we are. I have worked with the queer community throughout my career- running coming-out and trans support groups, and providing individual therapy . I work to support folks as they navigate, explore, and perform who they are in a world that can be damaging. We also work together to celebrate their innate strengths and resilience.

My first job out of college was as a case worker in an intimate partner violence housing program, and it is what ultimately brought me to psychology. Sadly, working with young adults also means working with survivors of intimate partner violence and sexual assault, as this is the highest risk time. I work with folks to heal from trauma, returning towards a place of feeling safe and empowered.

CBT is based on the idea that your feelings or mood are hard to just change. If you could decide not to be sad or worried, you probably would have done that a while ago, and I would be out of a job! CBT proposes that our feelings are linked to our patterns in thought and behavior. In CBT, we look at how our thoughts and behaviors are contributing to how we feel, and make changes to improve mood.

ACT proposes that are so many reasons to be sad and anxious in life. Often when we feel stuck in these emotions, it is because we are trying hard to control how we feel. We can do this by avoiding, drinking, or even just numbing out. The price is disconnection from the things we value most. ACT works through mindfulness to sit with difficult feelings and work toward values-based action to navigate our experiences and reconnect with our passions and purpose.