Jayna Burleigh Psy.D.

People seek therapy for a wide variety of reasons and at various points in their lives, whether for a specific concern or for a general desire to better understand oneself. Whatever the reason, it is not always easy to do; it is commendable that you are taking this step to get yourself the care and support that you need and deserve and I want to thank you for doing so.

All of us are impacted by our families-of-origin and early life experiences in ways that we may not realize. It is my understanding that we hold onto patterns in our behavior and relationships that help us when we are young but that may no longer work for us as we age. As a result, we may act in ways that feel frustrating to ourselves or others but do not understand why. Through active engagement in therapy, I listen for these patterns to collaborate with you to gain insight into the patterns and increase your agency to change them. I also prioritize supporting you in helping you feel less alone with your struggles and instill a sense of hope for your growth.

I have had clinical experience working within both inpatient and outpatient settings and with many different populations, including but not limited to those with serious and persistent mental illness, chronic and relational trauma, identity exploration, anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, and general stress. Within any of these settings or working with any of these life challenges, I have found that centering my client’s autonomy and subjective experience within the context of the therapy relationship creates a framework for building a sense of self-efficacy and self-understanding.

Working from a trauma-informed relational psychodynamic foundation, I believe the relationship between client and therapist is critical in helping to understand why certain things might cause the client pain as well as in helping to facilitate growth and change that they want and need. Generally, but especially when processing past trauma, treatment frequently focuses on the uncovering and expression of emotions and the integration of new insights into how you understand yourself in order to move forward in your journey of self-awareness. This self-awareness and insight then naturally leads to making different decisions and acting in ways that are more consistent with the kind of person you want to be. Additionally, techniques from treatment modalities such as Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) are at times integrated to help develop skills for coping and regulation to best support you in reaching your mental health goals and provide a foundation on which to build from.

I feel that you are the expert of your own experience, and, therefore, collaboration in therapy between the two of us is important towards helping you feel safe, empowered, and secure, in order to best work together to maximize your wellness.