Emilea Richardson, LMFT

Okay, so you had a touch of a mental breakdown last week. But honestly, you’re fine. You don’t need therapy. Your friend Stacey who has an abusive mother, now she needs therapy. But you’re fine. You just sob in your kitchen. Alone. You know, on the daily. But you’re fine. ...but don't you want to be so much more than fine? I think maybe radically open soulwork is exactly what you need. Soul work sounds sketch, so let me break it down real quick. I know, that YOU know, that you shouldn’t care what other people think. And I know, that YOU know, that your needs are important. You know it. You just don’t believe it. We’re going to the core of your soul where the belief is strong and defies logic. And you’ll heal. Therapy Is: 1. Life changing: In the best and worst of ways. It’s about forging new neurological pathways in your brain so those old habits that just sorta happen - like you don’t even know how you ended up in this situation a-gain - can be archived. You phase those out and start doing some newer, more helpful actions. 2. Exercise: it’s gonna make you sore. It’s gonna make you strong. I’m gonna push you to an uncomfortable (not painful, but uncomfortable) place and then let your muscles and body adapt. Most of all, consistency is where real progress happens. Practice makes permanent. 3. Vulnerable. You gotta be ready to cry. I mean, you don’t have to want to, and we certainly aren’t going to cry every session. But you gotta be okay with that being a thing. 4. A commitment - You need to be willing to set aside the time. Like, the hour of therapy for sure. But I’m offering whole life transformation here. That doesn’t just happen by showing up and ticking the attendance box. Therapy Isn’t: 1. Spot Reducing: Total life transformation doesn’t mean getting to keep exactly what you’re interested in keeping, and only changing the things you are interested in changing. 2. Comfy: This is not about numbing away the hard stuff of life so all you’re left with is fun. We’re going to embrace all of it. There will be sessions where you’re coming in sore and bruised from life, and our time will be warm and gentle. But we’re going to have some testing sessions where we find your uncomfortable edge and then just…stay there. Therapy is not easy. There will be moments of ease…but it will not be easy. 3. Tools On Sale: This isn’t cheap. What I’m offering you is so personal and tailored. I’m so invested in you and your journey and your growth. The way I offer support is so expansive. We’re going to show up to do the work together, with consistency. 4. Fast Acting: This is not a six steps to an emotionally healthy life with spiritual depth. This is an awe inducing, sweat inducing, confidence inducing climb. This is not a quick journey. Unlearning decades of beliefs and rules is gonna take some time babe. I’m Emilea - a therapist, a seriously playful heart, and a sharply intuitive spirit. I love a metaphor and a good rom com. And I’m fluent in Evangelical (the life group I’m plugged into just wants to do life together, you know?) and now love playing with the tarot. After spending my entire life as a devout evangelical Christian, I realized it took advantage of my self doubt. My need to people please. My ability to push through even when I was hurting. It took me three therapists, countless workbooks, and all of the Brene talks on the internet to come out the other side. I don’t want you to spend eight years figuring it out. Maybe you’ve seen Worksheet Therapist. You were thrilled to have homework, and some tools were helpful. But you got tired of repeating yourself. And the worksheets. Maybe you’ve seen Hooey Dooey Therapist. You’re able to be truly emotional in front of someone. But after a few weeks, the phrase ‘feel your feelings’ gives you the hives. It feels less like healing and more like an expensive pity party. With everything you’re juggling, radically open soulwork is exactly what you need. Before Therapeutic Soulwork: 1. You need to be in control. And even when you feel out of control, you need to at least keep an appearance of control. Never let anyone see you sweat. 2. You spend so much time suppressing your real emotion, you seem to only feel anxious, angry, or numb. 3. You’re good at being what others need to you to be. Leaving you with doubts they actually like you for you. 4. Maybe God loves you. Maybe God doesn’t really exist But either way, thinking about it for too long fills you with dread. After Therapeutic Soulwork: 1. Control is great, no doubt about it. But you’ve learned the sweetness of life is found in the messiness of it. 2. You welcome emotion as a chance to learn and grow. It continues to help you become who you want to be. 3. You have at least two extremely strong, authentic relationships where you know for sure you can call them after a crappy day and let it all hang out. 4. You’ve discovered and developed your own inner wisdom, creativity, meaning, and a love of your unique spiritual self.