Steady as she goes
“I’m not afraid of storms, for I’m learning how to sail my ship.”
~Louisa May Alcott, Little Women
Steady as she goes.
Are you feeling swept up in the winds of change?
Maybe you’re moving in a desired direction, but uncomfortably so.
Maybe you feel completely swept away—unwelcome circumstances blowing you all over the map.
Or maybe you’re still on course, but stuck somewhere, anchored to the spot.
Wherever you are on your journey through this life transition, as my client, you will not be alone. I will be there to help you steady the ship, adjust course toward your destination, and discover new possibilities along the way.
What I believe about therapy
I believe in honoring dreams.
I believe the life you long for has meaning, and power, and purpose.
I believe in the therapeutic value of Connection, Authenticity, Curiosity, Creativity, Adventure, Meaning-Making, Art, Nature, Storytelling, and Tradition.
I believe there is more than one way of getting through something or to something.
I believe I can be the support you need to find the right way for you.
Meredith Simonds, MA, LPCC, CDP
Focusing on life transitions
My therapeutic focus is on helping people navigate change associated with life transitions. This can cover a wide range of things over the course of a lifetime, and may fall into one of the following areas:
✓ Relationships
✓Career
✓Education
✓ Finances
✓ Moving
✓ Health
✓Creative endeavors
✓ Starting a business
✓ Starting a family
✓ Empty nest
✓ Retirement
✓ Aging
✓ Caregiving
✓ Grief and loss
✓ Existential crisis
Whatever life transition you’re going through, I want to help.
The basics of things
- Sessions: Individual
- Location: California
- Format: Zoom
- Length: 60 minutes
- Availability: Weekdays and Saturdays
- Frequency: Weekly or bi-weekly
- Fee: $150
Getting started: your free 30-minute consult
When you’re looking for a therapist, all sorts of things influence your decision before you even talk to them.
But there is one thing that can only be gauged through a conversation: rapport.
You need to feel seen, heard, and understood.
I hope you will contact me to arrange your free 30-minute Zoom consult to get a sense of what it’s like to talk to me.
How I approach therapy
My therapeutic approach is grounded in:
- Narrative Therapy
- Person-Centered
- Expressive Arts
- Strength-Based
- Multicultural
- CBT
That said, I do consider myself an eclectic therapist, drawing from any number of approaches depending on what seems most helpful to you.
About my approaches
Are limiting stories filling you with “shoulds” about who you are and what you do? Narrative Therapy can help flesh out your preferred story.
Do some things feel too hard to talk about? Expressive Art Therapy can reveal those unexpressed feelings.
Are thought spirals spinning out of control? CBT can help you challenge and change negative automatic thinking.
Are coping mechanisms providing short-term relief? The Strength-Based approach can strengthen coping skills to support your long-term goals.
Do you feel invisible, silenced, misunderstood, or dismissed? Person-Centered and Multicultural approaches can help you feel seen, heard, understood, and valued for who you are and where you come from.
What can I expect from my free 30-minute Zoom consult?
You can tell me about yourself and why you are seeking therapy. And I can tell you about myself and how I might be able to help. Most importantly, you can expect to get a sense of what it’s like to talk to me. After trying different lengths of time for consults, I have found that 30 minutes is helpful for covering the basics of things and providing a good glimpse of how it might feel to work together.
What are your qualifications?
I am a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (#17566) and Certified Dementia Practitioner (#265527). This is a second career for me (former copywriter). I returned to school in 2020 to earn my M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University-Los Angeles. I completed my training at OPICA Adult Day Program and Counseling Center, The Help Group, and Thrive Treatment.
What is your experience?
I have experience providing support to adults ages 18-90 during life transitions related to relationships, career, education, finances, moving, health, creative endeavors, starting a business, starting a family, empty nest, retirement, aging, caregiving, grief and loss, and existential crisis. Learn more about me.
What is your therapeutic approach?
I have a background in writing and theater that inspires and informs my work in Narrative Therapy and Expressive Arts Therapy. I like CBT, too, as keeping a thought diary has been an effective tool in my own journey. I also have a solid foundation in Person-Centered, Strengths-Based, and Multicultural approaches. I also draw from other approaches as seems helpful and of interest to the client.
How does payment work?
My fee for a 60-minute individual online session is $150. Payment is made via a credit card kept on file at SimplePractice, a third-party site that securely stores payment information. I will initiate payment at the end of each session.
Where, when, and how often will we meet?
Currently, I conduct all of my sessions via Zoom. This enables me to work with clients no matter where they live in California. I have availability on weekdays and Saturdays. So, hopefully, we can land on a day and time that works for you. As for frequency, I meet with most clients 1x per week. However, some clients are every other week. That’s a conversation we can have in your free 30-minute consult.
“Some things you learn best in calm, and some in storm.”
~Willa Cather, The Song of the Lark
