Home - Abide Counseling and Consulting

Hello There!

My name is Diana and I would love to be of help to you. I understand that reaching out for help and finding a therapist, can be overwhelming tasks. Nevertheless, I am here to make the experience easy and even enjoyable.

I do not take the therapeutic relationship for granted. I firmly believe that our contacts are meant to be and have a deeper purpose. Without a doubt, the experience with me will be loaded with acceptance, support, compassion, guidance, and understanding; but above all, it will be a non-judgmental environment where you can grow as a person and live to your full potential.

You can count on me for

First and foremost, I will be your counselor: I love working with a variety of populations and life situations. I like to bring genuineness to my therapeutic relationships. I do not believe in cold and superficial relationships; hence, in our session there will be elements of warmth, honesty, and humor.

Although we will not develop a friendship, we will be engaged in a long lasting therapeutic relationship.

My nurturing personality invites people to engage rather quickly and begin forming a strong connection and a solid bond, which allows healing to take place faster. Working with me, you will have the real woman, mother, and wife, not just a disengaged individual behind a counseling mask.

Nevertheless, I feel called to work with populations experiencing trauma, life transitions, grief, divorce, depression, anxiety, PTSD, and any difficult situations across the mental health spectrum.

A companion: I will be walking with you in your deepest darkness. Sometimes all we need is a person to talk to and not judge. Some other times, more specific interventions will be needed such as CBT, ACT, MI, and other approaches. However, my most common and effective intervention is EMDR, which has shown to be fast and very effective in most of my clients to relieve and heal from complex trauma.

A guide: Almost in every situation I put myself through the filter of my own experiences. Being an immigrant myself and having encountered adverse and traumatic situations, I can attest for the effectiveness of therapy and the need for guidance in these dark moments of one’s life.

Issues I Treat

Anxiety

Experiencing occasional anxiety is a normal part of life. However, people with anxiety disorders frequently have intense, excessive and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations.

Depression

Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. Also called major depressive disorder or clinical depression, it affects how you feel, think and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems.

PTSD and various types of trauma

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that’s triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event.

Adjustment disorders

Adjustment disorders are excessive reactions to stress that involve negative thoughts, strong emotions and changes in behavior. The reaction to a stressful change or event is much more intense than would typically be expected. This can cause a lot of problems in getting along with others, as well as at work or school.

Relationship issues

Healthy relationships with family, friends and other loved ones can be a great source of support, comfort and love. Still, healthy relationships don’t necessarily happen by themselves.

Work-life integration

If you’re embracing the work-life integration model, you’re free to tackle personal tasks during work hours—and vice versa. So, for example, you might spend time doing laundry while taking a conference call or shoot off a few emails while you’re waiting for your kids to finish up soccer practice.

Grief

Grief is the natural reaction to loss. Grief is both a universal and a personal experience. Individual experiences of grief vary and are influenced by the nature of the loss. Some examples of loss include the death of a loved one, the ending of an important relationship, job loss, loss through theft or the loss of independence through disability.

Communication, coping skills, and boundaries

Setting effective Communication Boundaries is a basic skill in relationship communication, both personally and professionally. They are imaginary lines we establish around ourselves to protect our souls, hearts, and minds from the unhealthy or damaging behavior of others.

Stress

Stress is a feeling of emotional or physical tension. It can come from any event or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, or nervous. Stress is your body’s reaction to a challenge or demand. In short bursts, stress can be positive, such as when it helps you avoid danger or meet a deadline

Life transitions and many more concerns

Life transitions are changes in an individual’s life that require them to adapt and adjust. They can be personal, such as marriage or going through a divorce. Or they could be professional, like losing your job or landing a new one.

Challenging

“To abide is to remain or stay close, where a relationship is sustained” וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב

In this high paced world staying close and remaining in any relationship is more challenging than ever.
There have been moments where I have questioned and challenged this concept myself.
Understanding how relationships work and inviting a huge deal of acceptance in one’s life, seems to be one of the pillars of connection, and hence, good mental health. This definition is not just for people outside of our world, but for us as well.

Potential

In my own personal journey, I can attest to all the qualities and enormous potential that we have for our own survival. In my practice, I continuously empower my clients and point to their own strengths for
them to see their own ability to transform their lives with no other person to credit but their own selves.

It isn’t easy, I get it and I will match your speed because I respect your journey. Nevertheless, I will make sure that you not only feel supported, understood, sheltered, but also challenged in your own process. This concept is particularly applicable for clients with trauma. I specialize in trauma (and trust me, we all have some), I will be the person to guide you through the darkness, and together, we will find a healthier concept and better point of view.

What I use

In my sessions I use a blend of multiple approaches and techniques. Some of them include:

EMDR

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a psychotherapy that enables people to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experiences, bilateral stimulation and connecting them to body sensations.

CBT

Is a type of approach that allows the person to become aware of inaccurate or negative thinking. By learning other ways to see the situation, the individual may be able to challenge them differently and respond to them in a more effective way.

ACT

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is an action-oriented approach. With this approach the client learns to accept the experience and commit to making changes in their behaviors to stop avoiding, denying, and struggling with their inner emotions. These deep changes will bring as a result, different ways to see their challenges and a stronger desire to move forward regardless of their particular situations.