Elsie Comeau (They/She)

As a trans-femme therapist, I possess lived experience with a queer identity. My ability to empathize with clients who are also LGBTQIA+ makes clients feel safe in expressing times they felt different, unsafe, or dysphoria. I work with clients in identifying what brings them euphoria and growing feelings of exuberance in a world that wants you to shrink yourself. I find joy cheering my clients on in an everlasting exploration and celebration of who they are.

I work with clients with PTSD by slowing down the cognitive processes caught up in traumatic moments. Once client's feel safe to do so, I encourage curiosity towards the aspects of their lives that are impacted by trauma. Through Internal Family Systems strategies, Reparenting, or Narrative therapy, I support clients with transforming how they react when posed with triggering stimuli. After trauma work, I guide clients to a safe landing place. All the while maintaining consent and comfort.

As a therapist with ADHD, I possess a deep sympathy with my clients struggling with the set of barriers that ADHD imposes. I work with my ADHD clients to learn a sense of grounding in their lives. From there, I guide clients in understanding the breadth of impact ADHD has on them. With this knowledge, we may work together to slow down and start to dismantle the processes that ADHD makes difficult. In time, clients find they are able to finish projects and react to emotional stimuli mindfully.

With great care, I work with clients to identify parts of them that got stuck when there were bumps in the road. These parts are trying to help the client the only way they know how, but often they create barriers to the client thriving. After we get to know a part, we empower it to change it's role, relieving the client of whatever the part was creating in them. Clients begin to see how their processes have been impacted by parts of them stuck in the past, and learn to tend to their needs.

The process of growing up forces us to make meaning out of many things. Our brains are efficient and learn to categorize things. We categorize things into good or bad, hard or easy, peace or chaos. DBT supports us in learning that things are not so black and white, and see the color between the polarities. With the power of mindfulness, and the skills offered in DBT I support clients in finding a way through the quick judgements our brains have instinctually made to a peaceful middle.

My background in working with populations with co-occurring disorders informs my understanding of MI. Using the skills in MI, I support clients in establishing goals, meeting their objectives in their goals, and knowing what change can look like. This informs the consent-based approach that I use to work with clients, and how I am able to encourage clients to take steps that felt scary in the past but are now approachable.

My robust background in supporting clients with co-occurring disorders informs my understanding of MI. Through learning skills taught in MI, I learned to support clients in establishing approachable goals, meeting weekly checkmarks, learning what change can look like, and believing they are ready to take the step that used to feel too scary.