Ariel Richards | Individual and Couples Therapy

We aren't born with the skills to communicate and love well. We learn those skills from our parents, family, relationships, culture, media, and more. For better or worse, we take lessons from our individual and collective traumas, experiences of oppression or discrimination, and the rigid expectations imposed on us.

I see individual and relationship therapy as a chance to sift through these pieces and build on the parts that serve you while letting go of the parts that don’t. 

I aim to collaborate with my clients to create a radically open, judgment-free space where we can explore your inner and outer worlds. My approach is strengths-based and client-centered: you are the expert on your experiences and I am here to help you build the rich, meaningful life you want, not to tell you how to think or feel or live. I draw from Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) to help individual and relational clients understand the painful patterns that keep them stuck so that they can learn new ways of being. I also use Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to shift how clients relate to their difficult experiences and reconnect to the present moment through mindfulness-based practices. I also incorporate Gottman method, family systems theory, and somatic practices to complement my work with clients.