About Me
Hi, I’m Meagan (she/they). I’m a therapist, yes, but I’m also a person. I believe therapy invites vulnerability, and by sharing who I am, I am giving you more control in deciding who you open up to.
Personal Values & Lived Experiences
I share a number of identities and lived experiences with many of the people I work with, including:
I’m Queer (I'm especially familiar with the experience of having a queer identity that isn't always visible to others. For me, that includes existing on the asexual, bisexual, and non-binary spectrums.)
I’m Neurodivergent (Understanding my own mind has helped me more intentionally consider neurodiversity and the many ways people think, learn, process the world, and engage in therapy. For me, that includes being a former gifted kid with ADHD, autistic traits, and a brain that doesn't think in images or have an inner voice.)
I’m Chronically Ill (I understand what it's like to live with invisible illness, juggle high-care treatment routines, and navigate the challenges of getting diagnosed or feeling heard by doctors. For me, that includes living with Type 1 Diabetes, POTS, hypermobility, and PCOS.)
If we have some of these in common, there may be less you have to explain to me because I already understand some of the language, frustrations, and context that come with them. At the same time, how these are interwoven throughout our lives and in our interactions with others can differ greatly, so I’m always going to be interested in how they show up specifically in your life.
What I value as a therapist:
I might know more about mental health than you, but I don’t know more about YOU than you do. I actively welcome your feedback and adapt my approach as we work together to figure out what you need.
I ask about your comfort because it helps us better recognize your boundaries. I’ll make sure we both respect those boundaries by encouraging you to notice them in the moment and making time for us to accommodate them, even in little ways during our sessions.
I believe in recognizing how systemic oppression shapes our world, especially for marginalized communities, and noticing what we’ve internalized as a result.
I want to know what you think you’re struggling with. You know yourself best, and having words for an experience can help you understand it, find resources, and connect with others. You don’t need to worry about me judging you for diagnosing yourself or using a term you picked up from social media. I care more about understanding your experience than policing the words you use to describe it.
I’ll react with my face and tone, whether that’s concern, excitement, or something in between. I’m not a “blank slate” therapist. I show up authentically as a real human! I’ll always see you through a kind, compassionate lens, and I welcome seriousness, cringe, and silliness alike.
I am open and transparent with my clients. I’ll share my line of thinking and explain why I’m suggesting certain interventions, so you know what we’re doing and why. If you ever have a question, please, ask it!
Now that you know a little about my values, here are a few things that make me... well, me!
Fun Facts About Me
To give you a glimpse of who I am, here are a few of my favorites:
Video Games: Life is Strange, Minecraft, Pokémon, and The Sims 4
TV Shows and Movies: Severance, The Last of Us, Doctor Who, Supernatural, and Back to the Future
Hobbies: Photography, metalsmithing, jewelry making, and lapidary arts (rock shaping and polishing). I have many more hobbies, as ADHDers tend to, but these are the ones that stuck and that I keep coming back to.
Collections: Crystals and fossils (which inspired my practice name), handcrafted art from farmers’ markets, fidgets, and too many psychology books (my career path might have been a special interest first)
Miscellaneous: I love my two rescue dogs, I love the Tucson Gem Show, I’m a chicken sandwich connoisseur, and fondue and Korean BBQ are some of my favorite meals because I like cooking my food in front of me as I eat it.
Why Ammonite Counseling?
While I can appreciate most fossils, ammonites symbolically connect to what I do as a therapist. Growth rarely happens in a straight line. We circle back to old wounds, patterns, and parts of ourselves, but we gain distance and something new within us each time around, eventually getting out of the cycle. Filled with meaning and lots of opportunities for puns, Ammonite Counseling felt like a perfect name for the work I dedicate myself to as a trauma therapist: unearthing defense mechanisms that have fossilized, so we can appreciate the past without being stuck in it.