Character Consultation for Writers, Producers, Actors, & Developers
Every therapist can tell you that one of the absolute banes of our existence is seeing unrealistic representations in the media. Believe it or not, inaccurate representations of therapy and mental health can do a lot of harm. Whether it’s a therapist who is asking wild questions (you won’t catch most therapists asking, “And how does that make you feel?”) or acting highly unethically (fun fact: sleeping with current and former clients is quite illegal in many states), or a character or family who is portraying a specific mental health diagnosis, experience, and/or treatment, therapists can often be found reading/watching and screaming internally and deconstructing all of the issues and misrepresentation to anyone who will listen. On the other hand, you’ll often find us celebrating and sharing accurate representations.
As someone who proudly uses books and other forms of media as a pathway of healing, understanding, and case conceptualization for myself, my clients, and my students, I can personally attest to how deeply powerful accurate representations of mental health, therapy, and healing can be. To that end, I happily consult with writers, actors, and developers of all kinds to help you ensure that your representations are as complex and nuanced as these experiences truly are.
Some topics/experiences I consult on include…
LGBTQ+ , Identity Development, Mental & Physical Healthcare, and Coming Out Journeys
There is a whole lot of nuance when it comes to ensuring that you’re depicting LGBTQ+ characters and their experiences from an affirming lens. While everyone’s experience is unique, there are some core components of LGBTQ+ experiences that folks outside of LGBTQ+ communities may not be able to accurately capture. Sometimes representation can be tokenizing and play into stereotypes, and do a disservice to LGBTQ+ communities, perpetuating harmful narratives. As a queer person who has done quite a bit of (academic) research on LGBTQ+ identity formation, safe spaces, intersectional identity, and other experiences, I can help you avoid some very common pitfalls in your LGBTQ+ Rep so your work can help celebrate and represent rather than pathologize unique LGBTQ+ experiences.
Individual Therapy, Couples Therapy, Family Therapy, and Group Therapy Experiences and Therapeutic Processes
Have I mentioned that very few therapists actually ask the question, “And how does that make you feel?” in session? (Okay, I know I have, but it’s a real pet peeve for me!) There are a lot of reasons for that. Therapists practice from tons of different frameworks and philosophies, and much of what happens in the therapy room changes depending on the therapist’s theory. This includes how they respond to their client’s behaviors and statements, the interventions they use in session, and even what the therapeutic relationship looks like vary greatly depending on how the therapist and their theory believes change happens in the therapy room. There is also a lot of nuanced difference in various therapy modalities—individual therapy, couples therapy, family therapy, and group therapy all look very different, and how they help clients changes depending on this modality changes as well! As a professor in a Couple & Family Therapy Master’s program, I teach students who are on their journey to becoming a licensed MFT figure out and apply these nuanced differences to their work, and I can very help you figure those out, too. That way, therapy and therapists can most effectively aid the story you want to tell.
Trauma & Recovery,
Complex Relational and Family Dynamics,
Attachment Wounds
As a researcher and educator, I’ve spent a lot of time diving into the complexity of trauma recovery. Trauma looks very different depending on one’s context. This also means that the way trauma plays out and is passed on inter-generationally is unique and complex. Experiencing trauma most deeply impacts one’s relational experiences. This means that family dynamics shift, as well as relational dynamics in school, at work, with friends, and in romantic relationships. Overall, trauma impacts how one sees and understands themself—how could that not affect how one shows up in relationships? There are many kinds of trauma, and many different impacts of trauma. Similarly, breaking the cycle of trauma is unique, complex, and varied. As a trauma researcher and therapist, I can help you gain insight into the nuance of experiencing various types of trauma so you can represent the impact and healing of trauma in your story in a nuanced and attuned way.
