In-person or virtual therapy for individuals, families, & couples
Lindsay N. Clegg
Neurodivergent-Affirming | Body Positive | LGBTQIA+ Friendly
Specialties: ADHD, Autism, Anxiety, Depression, HSPs, Body Image, Bipolar, Narcissism & Borderline Personality
I help clients increase self-understanding, manage healthy relationships, and navigate employment or societal challenges. I believe it’s important to feel proud of the things that make you unique and unlearn ideas that these traits are flaws. Self-acceptance begins when we take time to really notice who we are, the way we function most naturally, & how our identities have been infused with negative messages over time. New behavior strategies can help to a degree but often lead to exhaustion. Self-acceptance and self-compassion address issues at their root. With permission to be imperfect and by sustaining self-validating beliefs, we can recover from difficult situations more easily.
Specialties & lived experience
Many of my counseling "specialties" are motivated by lived experience, either first hand or with loved ones. I believe there is no greater source of education than the experiences we've been through. Beginning my career in tech, I felt challenged by my anxiety, being a gender minority, and also being neurodivergent. I had to learn for myself how to listen to my own needs and recognize when societal and family pressures where turning my life into something I hated. In this experience I also came to appreciate how difficult it is to be both highly sensitive AND highly logical. At times, it seems easier to be either a "thinker" OR a "feeler", but when we manage to strike a balance both -- we find wisdom. It wasn't until I honored my sensitivity that I was able to fully feel comfortable in my own skin again. Logic & emotion are not competing opposites, they are complimentary parts of a complete human experience.
Neurodivergent-Affirming (ADHD, Autism +)
I am passionate about working with those who process and experience the world differently than the mainstream. Being a neurominority is not always comfortable, we may be misunderstood and judged negatively for our natural way of living. Many ADHD and Autistic adults have been fighting their true nature since childhood, as they have been systemically invalidated and corrected over and over. I work with neurodivergent adults to explore what they've been through, who they are, and what they need next.
Anxiety, Introversion, & HSPs
I love working with introverts, highly sensitive people, and those who regularly experience anxiety. If you identify with one (or more) of these descriptors, you are likely a complex and active thinker.
You may be highly impacted by experiences around you, and processing a lot of information. With so much input from the environment, therapy is a great way to unpack those thoughts and express yourself. You might be looking for ways to reduce those aspects that make life difficult and uncomfortable. In sessions, we can look through your experiences frame by frame with some new perspective on how your viewing the footage and what you're needing.
Bipolar, Narcissism & Borderline
Whether you’ve been diagnosed or just worry that you could have bipolar, BPD, or NPD - you’ve likely noticed social stigma around these mental health labels. Most people don’t understand the full nature of these diagnoses and will struggle to find compassion. For those experiencing bipolar, BPD, or NPD -- life can be extremely painful, lonely, and confusing. Interactions with others can be draining and anxiety inducing. Perhaps you regularly encounter areas of injustice that seem too loud to ignore. Whatever you’ve been through, I’m here to listen compassionately and validate your experience. We can work on strategies to help take some of the intensity out of difficult emotions, look at warning signs of trouble, talk about maintaining healthy relationships, or you can lead the way!
Women in Tech & STEM Fields (all genders welcome *)
* My door is open to people of all genders, though I am most educated in the cis female experience for tech/STEM career issues *
If you are a woman in tech/STEM, you might be at increased risk for work related anxiety or depression. You likely worked hard to be where you are -- but hard work doesn't always lead to happiness. Perhaps you feel out of place or unsure of the work culture at your job. Maybe you're tired, feeling like you need to prove yourself and yield high performance. Maybe you've felt pressured to change into someone your not or suppress your emotions. There is no wrong way to feel. Even if other women aren't impacted in the same way -- your experience is valid and I'm here to listen.
Body Image & Diversity (body positive lens)
Body diversity is a fact of life. We come in all different shapes and sizes. In a weight obsessed society we receive a lot of influence regarding beauty standards and prejudice towards those who don’t match it. The medical industry reinforces prejudice when they over-attribute symptoms to weight or offer patronizing comments about weight. Even loving parents can instill negative beliefs about how weight impacts worth.