Colleen Holbrook (She/Her)

We are all the ages we have ever been. These parts of ourselves exist even when we see a competent adult in the mirror. There can be parts that hold trauma, remember and relive the pain. There can be parts as adventous and carefree as a child. Many people are overcome by the parts that live in insecurity and self-doubt. There are parts that need comfort and turn to food, shopping or sex with strangers. And there are parts that will judge and criticize your choices.

Understanding that we can learn to listen for the Critical Parent voice gives us the power to change our belief system. That internal critic has a powerful impact on the Inner Child. The Inner Child may seek comfort, lash out or go into hiding with secret behaviors where shame thrives. We often need to cultivate a strong relationship with our Compassionate Adult. That part can set limits and explore the message of the Critical Parent. We can change.

There are a variety of areas where people ask for help in navigating life's challenges. I tend to be interactive, a problem solver, creative and intuitive. I enjoy helping clients find the right path for themselves. Often I coach highly sensitive people and those with neurodiversity on how to manage in places that are insensitive, too loud, too bright and chaotic. Having some of these same challenges means building a tool kit to use to support myself and keep from bei g overwhelmed.

Grief is one of the most difficult times in our lives. It isn't just the grief of a loved one, it can be the loss of anything and anyone we have loved and lost. Grief is complicated in that it isn't just one emotion. There is a tangle of painful emotions of sadness, emptiness, anger, disappointment, regret and so on. It's different for everyone at the same time there are commonalities. Typically grief comes in waves out of the blue and then subsides. Gradually it normally loses its force.

Anxiety comes from fear, from not feeling safe in the world. For many it's a feeling that came up initially in childhood and has carried on. They beat themselves up, strengthening the Inner Critic voice and making their anxiety worse. I want my clients to know there are many parts to our personalities, to recognize them and befriend them. I want clients to pay attention to their internal dialog as I help them change their relationship to themselves.

We all will experience grief and loss in our lives. It's such a confusing and painful time because grief is not just one emotional state. It's a combination of many emotions that can all be difficult to manage. I help people honor their losses, find healthy ways to grieve and to heal. We are all unique and our experiences will be unique, but love and understanding go a long way. I come to my work with an open heart and sensitivity to share what I have learned and to be present in your pain.

Depression can feel like a heavy weight that zaps our energy and can leaves us feeling weak, sad, irritable and want to hibernate. This makes it difficult to take care of responsibilities. Overcoming depression is essential to finding joy in life. It can be treated with a combination of Nature/ Nurture. In addition to talk therapy, there are vitamins or prescriptions to address the physical changes in the brain when someone is depressed.

Depression can feel like a heavy weight that zaps our energy and can leaves us feeling weak, sad, irritable and want to hibernate. Overcoming depression is essential to finding joy in life and feeling capable of meeting the challenges we all face. I help clients look at their histories, significant events and their biological nature. We explore the pressures, the messages about themselves and about life that they have come to believe. We were not born with our beliefs, so we can change them.