Megan Labutka (She/Her/Hers)

Working with physical symptoms, negative or unhealthy thinking patterns, and more. I use DBT approaches as well as other techniques to help with building awareness, as well as helping facilitate learning of healthier, more realistic thought patterns.

I work a lot with phase-of-life transitions, particularly college-aged students and emerging adulthood. It can be hard to navigate the challenges that come along with this part of life, such as gaining independence, making important decisions, and also embracing your own beliefs and values. There are naturally other obstacles and challenges throughout life that we must overcome to be the best version of ourselves.

I have recently grown an extensive interest in this population, as I believe it is very minimized and not normalized in our culture and society. This can be an overwhelming, joyous time of adjustment, and there are a lot of thoughts, feelings, and physical effects that can come from it. I use a validating, empowering environment to normalize postpartum while giving skills and doing work with clients to overcome these challenges.

I always strive to build a relationship with my clients below the surface and like to encourage the idea that we as individuals often know ourselves better than anyone else. A lot of times, therapy is used to validate and bring what you internally know to the surface to realize and accept, and I like to individualize this experience through these techniques.

I use Gestalt approaches to bring awareness of the body into the therapy, as well as to make sense of how past experiences may be holding the client back or may be impacting them in the present more than they realize. Through awareness, values, and healthy thinking, clients are able to accept their past and how it impacts them, rather than repress and let it hold them back from reaching their highest potential.

DBT focuses on unhealthy thinking patterns that we are not conscious of, as well as how our automatic thoughts impact us on a daily basis. It gives concrete skills that the client and therapist can practice and learn in session so they can independently use them and make them a habit.