Megan @ The mend collective

 My work is primarily with individuals, couples, and children ages 5-12. Having grown up in a cross-cultural context, I offer bilingual therapy in Spanish and English. I have experience and enjoy working with folks navigating anxiety, depression, identity exploration, self-esteem, perinatal mental health, and major life transitions. 

My hope and priority is to provide a warm, inviting space to explore deeply and engage openly with all the complexities of being human. I am interested in removing the lens of pathology to look more closely and deeply at the intricacies of the self from a systems-focused and anti-oppressive framework. This means that I am committed to continual education, reflection, and growth in my own practice and in our work together. I believe everyone is the expert of their own life and brings with them the innate capacity for healing and wholeness.

 I grew up between the mountains of East Tennessee and the cityscape of Madrid, Spain, creating in me an equal love for the calm and wildness of the mountains and the energy of a big city. I studied visual art as an undergraduate student and love to use art and creativity in my work as a therapist, as well as in my own personal creative practice. I love exploring new places, trying new foods, jogging, reading, a warm mug of coffee, and spending time with the people and animals I love most! 

 I am inspired and guided by the mindset that fixing is not the same as healing, and it is healing that truly transforms. I utilize techniques from mindfulness-based therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Expressive Arts Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Play Therapy, Emotion Focused Therapy, and Internal Family Systems, or parts work. I draw heavily from Polyvagal Theory and somatic approaches to healing, rooted in the idea that our minds and bodies are deeply intertwined. I aim to be a therapist who is always learning and finding innovative and evidence-based approaches to best serve the individuals I work with.