Renya NeoNorton (she/they)

The early years in which we are developing physically and emotionally are some of the most important years of our life. Because we usually spend this time with our families, family systems have a big effect on our future lives. Family systems work can happen with individual people processing their family of origin, with people in relationships with different family histories which are influencing their present actions, and with families who come to therapy together.

Individual people and communities of all sizes understand their identity and purpose via the stories they tell. Narrative theory is about unpacking the stories we tell about ourselves and where they come from, societal stories, family stories, community stories. It's about actively choosing what stories we want to tell in the future. My practice of narrative therapy is informed by the work of Black feminists like The Combahee River Collective, Octavia Butler, and Toni Morrison.

When embarking on a polyamorous journey, we often are thinking of the abundance of love and connection that it can open up. We're not thinking about or looking forward to the other things: jealousy, misunderstandings, judgement. These are the sorts of things we can move through together in therapy, to move more fully to the love and connection you were first excited about!

In my experience as a nonbinary and transgender therapist, I’ve learned that gender issues impact us all. Addressing these issues is a collaborative effort, not a competitive one. Whether your own process with gender centers around identity exploration, presentation and being perceived, gender roles and expectations, or support in being your authentic self – these are things we struggle with in all genders in our own ways.

A lot of the time, people might feel like they can't point to any "real trauma" yet they experience symptoms in line with trauma. Trauma is not just limited to one event: it often comes from our experiences embedded in our environments. This means that there is no simple beginning, middle, and end to our trauma stories. They're complex and layered. Trauma therapy for me is about honoring the complexity, the messiness, the grief of it all. It is central to the work that I do.

Anxiety is often presented as if there is a biological mechanism that makes us feel bad all the time. Yet, this isn't the full story. There are a million good reasons to be anxious right now. Our first step in moving through anxiety is validating it as a response to an overwhelming world and life circumstances. Next, we'd look at what wisdom anxiety has for us, how it can help us to prepare and keep us safe. Once we listen to it, it become less intense, and new space opens up for you.

Gender can be a confusing topic, especially now when it feels less safe to do anything that might draw unwanted attention. That said, being queer, transgender, and nonbinary have been transformative experiences for me that've opened up so many possibilities. Whatever gender journey you're moving through, there will be difficulties both external and internalized. But it's very much worth it. On the other side is a version of you that feels agency in choosing how best to relate to gender.