Just a girl, standing in front of a succulent wall, asking you how you’re feeling today.
Maybe you’ve tried therapy before – or you haven’t.
Maybe you’ve had a great therapist! Warm, reflective, and understanding.
...Or you’ve had a not-so-great experience with a therapist who seemed to chronically misunderstand what you were trying to say.
Maybe you’ve seen so many made-for-tv movies where therapists sit in big, intimidating leather chairs and tap their pens on their yellow legal pads that seeking help seemed like a really overwhelming prospect.
Yeah… I’m not gonna do that.
Every passion has an origin story. Here’s mine.
Like so many of my clients, I experienced trauma in my young life. As a teen, I saw my impending college years as an opportunity – to get away, start fresh, and become who I’d always wanted to be underneath all those moments I felt too scared to show it.
It wasn’t long before I realized it wasn’t just that my environment was traumatic – I learned pretty quickly that getting away wasn’t enough. I had been deeply affected by my experiences, and I didn’t leave them at the door of my childhood home.
My experiences came with me.
Sure, I dipped a toe into therapy. But college was hard, and those post-college years were even harder. I was navigating life as a graduate, as a newly-married person, as a career-seeker, and eventually as a student again.
I was trying to navigate a super-complicated time of life while carrying a trauma history I didn’t fully understand.
You don’t need fixing.
A couple of things made a world of difference during that sticky time in my life. One of the biggest?
My therapist.
More specifically, the great and trusting relationship I had with my therapist. She never made me feel like I was being peered at and studied through a glass divider. (You know the type.)
She made sure I knew I wasn’t “broken.”
Because too often, that’s how things are presented to us, right? We’re “brokenhearted.” We’re “shattered.” We need to move on from trauma and “pick up the pieces.” We have to put ourselves “back together.”
The problem with that idea is that it makes it sound like we aren’t already whole.
And that is so untrue.
You don’t need “fixing” because you aren’t broken. We are all whole people worthy of love, respect, and fulfillment, regardless of what we’ve experienced in our lives.
Once we realize that – well, gosh, is there a LOT of life on the other side.
I’ve been on that couch. So I decided to make it comfy.
I’m going to share a secret with you, friends.
Ready?
I never thought I’d become a therapist. Especially not one in private practice.
But the amazing therapist I had in my early 20s changed my mind. She helped turn that experience of seeking help into a passion for giving that help.
She taught me how important it was to show up as myself for my clients...
To be a safe space for others who don’t feel fully understood…
To be a human being supporting another human being.
So come on in. Have some coffee (or tea).
Kick off your shoes, curl up on the couch, and snuggle with that blanket. (No, the other one. The one that’s your favorite, if you’re really being honest about it.)
Those plants?
They’re so you can breathe.🪴
And the nature photos?
Reminders of the big, wide world around us and the solid Earth under our feet. 🌎
Hi, friend! 👋 Let’s talk.
The Official Stuff
Let me tell you more about my qualifications for helping guide you down this path you’re on.
Sound good? Cool!
✔️ My name is Melinda R. Olsen, and I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT). My license ID is #111165.
✔️ I’m especially jazzed to work with with you in one of these areas: Emerging & Young Adults; Couples (both marital and premarital); Identity & Self-Esteem; Relationships (family, friends, romantic, etc.); Anxiety; Difficult Life Events & Transitions
✔️ I’m a wife, a mom, and an elder Millennial. (...I’ve seen some things, ya’ll.)
✔️I am 100% 1,000% LGBTQIA affirming. 🏳️🌈
✔️I’m more than willing to work with you around issues related to race and equity. As a bi-racial woman, I know what it’s like to sift through the layers and navigate these spaces.
✔️ I’m certified in the Prepare/Enrich program for premarital therapy.
✔️ I’ve completed an externship, Core Skills Training, and additional specialized training in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT).
✔️ I’m certified in Brainspotting Trauma Treatment.
✔️ I’ve completed Phase 1 & 2 of the Enneagram Professional Certification Training with Beatrice Chestnut. (Love her!)
✔️ I’ve completed Phase 1 of EMDR Trauma Treatment. (But please note that I’m not currently offering EMDR sessions.)
✔️ I have a Masters of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy from Fuller Seminary.
Ready to get in touch?
I can’t wait to hear from you.