Ilana Barakat, PhD

I believe, no matter how long a problem or pattern has existed, there is hope for change. Patterns in relationships can be transformed, and so can long-standing perceptions of yourself and your life. When change feels daunting, this is the moment a non-judgmental outside perspective can help. I believe that therapy is a place where you can bring your entire self: your hopes, dreams, fears, traumas, pain or shame -- all the messy parts of you. I work hard to make that space warm, compassionate, dynamic, and containing, with room for laughter, tears, raw truths, and unknowns. There are few spaces in life where all of these parts of you can exist. I believe therapy is that space, and it can be less scary when we walk that road together. My therapy style is an interactive dialogue, rather than silent or lecturing. Clients tell me I am an engaged, interactive, highly attuned and warm therapist. I don't assume to know your story, but I do listen deeply and proactively. At my core, I am a writer and lover of stories. Together, we will work to co-create your past story. I'll listen openly and empathically to your current story. And with hope and possibility as we create your dreams for your future story. I find that as we construct your story together, it can both release emotional pain and create enough insight into patterns, that those patterns become more moveable and less stuck. I also envision therapy as a rehearsal stage for practicing the performances we live out in everyday relationships. Beyond this, I will hold the hope that you may have lost, work to see the complexities of your intersecting identities, and hold the potential for you to have access to your most authentic, joyful self.