Which populations and niche areas do you focus on?
Hi, I’m Lexi and I’m a mental health therapist at Optimum Joy. I really am open to working with, honestly, like all types of clients. Kind of more niche areas are working more with LGBTQIA communities and also working a lot with couple and family units.
How do you approach working with couples and families?
Typically, we see couples coming in from different, maybe they’re diverging on different paths. And I think like looking at the systems and where they come from and treating it, the unit, as kind of one client is something that’s really important to me. And kind of working along with that couple or that family to try to get to the same place at the end of the day is something that’s really important to me.
What would you say to someone wondering if their problem is “big enough” for therapy?
I think a lot of times people think that they have to come in with like a really serious problem to say. But I honestly truly believe that therapy is for everyone. And I think that no matter what you’re coming in with, it’s valid. And kind of working through things like one little step at a time can really make a big difference in everybody’s life. So I definitely say if you’re questioning, if therapy’s for you, I think therapy’s for everyone. So yeah, just know that whatever you’re coming in with, that’s enough.
What should a client expect regarding the pace of therapy?
I think a lot of times people come into therapy and they’re thinking that everything can be solved and fixed in just a few sessions. But truly it does take time. Therapy isn’t a sprint. I think a lot of times people come in and they’re really eager, which is great. But also too much change at once might feel good at the time. But I think that it’s like the little wins along the way that really make the difference at the end of the journey of therapy. And it takes time to learn and to reframe kind of your lived experience.
What is your favorite thing about being a therapist?
My favorite thing about being a therapist is kind of being able to get the paper version of somebody in person. So I think that like a lot of times people think that they’re wanting to go to counseling for something. And then when they come, they realize that there’s so many other things that they actually want to talk about. And I think that that’s kind of like interesting and seeing multiple different perspectives from communities that maybe I wouldn’t kind of see otherwise. So yeah, I think like generally just like the human aspect of therapy and being kind of having a deeper connection with people over time.
What do you enjoy doing outside of the office?
Honestly, most of the time, not in the office, I’d say that I’m spending time with friends around the area. We try to like go out and like do little things like go to new restaurants and just like generally we hang out most, most days of the week. So probably just sticking around with the community that I’ve built up in Chicago.
