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Aloha! My name is Taresa Spade, LCSW. I'm a private practice therapist licensed in the states of Hawaii, California, Washington, Montana, and Minnesota. I bring a down-to-earth and practical approach to therapy, one that embraces real-world solutions while attending to deeper healing, exploration, and empowerment. My goal is to create an environment where you feel comfortable and understood, where our conversations are relatable and engaging. I focus on the healing and/or resolution of stress and anxiety-based issues, trauma (emotional, psychological, physical, sexual, financial), major life change, loss, and grief (due to death, divorce, break-up, estrangement, circumstantial change, loss of dreams and hopes, etc), caregiver support, chronic illness, terminal illness, adult ADHD, parental estrangement.
My approach
In therapy, I emphasize effectiveness and practicality by focusing on easy-to-implement actionable steps and real-life solutions. Our conversations will center on your thoughts, beliefs, emotions, and experiences to build a dynamic plan that is directly applicable to your daily life. Additionally, I value and incorporate your unique perspective, cultural background, and the power of your belief system into our work together. All of my work is rooted in Cognitive-behavioral, Acceptance and Commitment, Adaptive Info Processing, Attachment, Internal Family Systems, compassion-focused, Grief, and Trauma therapies. I put intentional efforts toward neurofunctional learning as this is a rapidly advancing field with major applications in therapy. I am also well-versed in many beliefs and religious systems as a result of personal interests and life experiences.
My focus
I typically work with individual adults (18 and up) who suffer from stress, anxiety-based issues, trauma (emotional, psychological, physical, sexual, financial), major life change, loss, and grief (due to death, divorce, break-up, estrangement, circumstantial change, loss of dreams and hopes, etc), caregiver support, chronic illness, terminal illness, adult ADHD, and parental estrangement.
My communication style
My communication style is characterized by reflective and relatable discussions with an aim to demystify the therapeutic process. Approachability and comfort are priorities in our sessions because it's important that you feel fully present without curation - to me that means humor, tears, accomplishments, disappointments, fears, and whatever else comes up is welcome. At the end of each session, I provide a practical recap, summarizing our key insights and actionable takeaways, ensuring our discussions remain clear and applicable to your life outside the therapy room
My journey to mental healthcare
My journey as a therapist came from my own life experiences - the great and terrible as well as the mundane. I did not grow up in mainstream America and had the good fortune to discover classic literature, philosophy, the practices of Eastern belief systems, and Stoicism early in life - these remain a source of personal strength and human understanding. They are also very closely aligned with the best practices in therapy today. I went back to school later than most and began in pre-med. I loved the studies but discovered it was not the life I needed to live. After a major medical difficulty and. subsequently my first introduction to the world of therapy, I chose a Psychology major for undergrad studies and decided to take the route of Social Work in grad school as it provided me with many avenues of active participation in the world. The MSW degree, and later my clinical license, has allowed me to do everything from research to speaking on Veterans issues in the White House, to building state and local community programs, to providing service and support to families without homes, and to the private practice I run today. To the best of my ability, I continue to be fulfilled by involvement in many areas of life. All of my experiences, education, training, and ongoing learning are a part of what I bring to our sessions.
My goals for you
I prefer to build goals from conversations that explore your needs, difficulties, visions, and how the world around you provides support (or not). I generally take a 2 pronged approach that first addresses symptoms that negatively impact your life. As those more immediate needs get some attention, we begin addressing the potential for deeper issues (in your environment or your belief system) that may be the source of those difficult symptoms. Goals are developed by your needs and where you want to be in life - they are always adaptable and dynamic. Our sessions will include regular check-ins to be sure your goals are aligned with your evolving vision, that they remain relevant and achievable, and to track progress.
My first session with you
The first session is about getting to know each other. There are usually a lot of questions, so feel free to put some together ahead of time. If there are any symptoms demanding immediate attention, we will also begin working on those.
