It is a cold and rainy day here in Austin. Texas. Days like this can bring up many different feelings for me. Today, I wanted to share a little more with you all on why I am so passionate about being a therapist.

At an early age, I started to experience loss and grief when my mom was diagnosed with cancer. I realize now that the grief didn’t start when she died, but when she was diagnosed and I was 3 years old.

I have experienced many challenges and heartbreaks in my life. Being a sensitive person, I struggled with lots of feelings flooding me and feeling overwhelmed for many years of my life. I looked for many things to help me cope- religion, spirituality, meditation, therapy, family/friends, read lots of books, time in nature, and more. Many of these things did help and can be useful tools, but it was therapy that has had the most impact in my life.

Therapy has many benefits. There is nothing like it when someone can be there with you in the middle of the hard stuff. That can help you make sense when the world feels scary, overwhelming, and a jumbled mess. A space where you can look at all that is coming up and make decisions that are best for you. Time to make sense of all the things that have happened in your life and understand how it all goes together and why you do what you do. Gaining more understanding on why others behave as they do.

Therapy helped me make sense of things that just didn’t make sense. I learned that I have a voice within and that if I listen to it it helps guide me- my authentic self. I learned that there are other parts of me- that 3 year old part, teenager part, protective parts, etc. I have gotten to know those parts better over the years and learn what they have to tell me. I learned to set boundaries, speak up for myself, figure out what goals I had for my life, build confidence to pursue those goals, and create a life that worked for me.

I know what it is like to feel despair and like all hope is lost. I know what it’s like to have people in your life who don’t get it and some who have made it harder. I have also had amazing therapists who have been there through all these times. A listening ear, someone to bounce ideas off of, encouragement, and helping me to see who I really am at the core- a person who is doing her best and learning and growing along the way.

I have been in the trenches. I have also had amazing experiences that brought me so much joy. I became a therapist to support others the way I had gotten support. I believe in our resiliency as humans to rise from challenging circumstances. I believe and have experienced that when we have support we can learn so much from the challenging times. We become stronger and more determined to live a life that makes sense to us. We learn to focus on what’s important to us and live in more peace and ease.

I am here to support you. If I’m not the best fit, then I’m happy to give you referrals to other wonderful clinicians. I want you to know there is hope and support. Life can be easier. It takes some time and a willingness to look within to see what is going on.

You can feel assured that I’m not frightened by big stuff. I get that life brings us experiences that we didn’t ask for and what we desperately want is for someone who can listen, understand, and not freak out or give us a pat answer. But someone who can be there, really be there, with us emotionally. When we feel someone is there with us and gets it, there is great healing that starts to take place.

It is very vulnerable to come to therapy and open your life to another person. I respect that. It is normal to have anxiety about the unknown and especially if you don’t normally talk about intimate details of your life or you’ve have negative reactions from others in regards to your feelings and life decisions. I provide a safe and nonjudgmental space. It is a risk to make the call or email to get more information. You have to decide does the benefit outweigh the risk involved?

Having experienced positive benefits through therapy that is where my passion for this process comes out with a resounding- Hell Yes! But each of us is different and timing is important as well. Sometimes we need some time to think it through and other times we know it is just what we need.

Take a look at my website and see what you think. I am available by phone or email to answer any questions you have. I have daytime, evening, and Sunday appointment times available in a warm and inviting space.

If you would like more information or to schedule a free phone consultation, give me a call at 512-994-0432 or email me at carlene@carlenelehmann.com for more information.

We look forward to speaking with you and learning how we can best support you!

Warmly,

Carlene Lehmann, LMFT