Elli Relman

Drowning is a hard feeling to explain. Having wave after wave of stress, trauma, and grief can be like water rushing into your lungs. Survival instincts kick in as you flail to the surface for air. But even after getting on dry land, you keep feeling like you can’t breathe. Turns out, surviving is not the same as living. Through counseling I found a way to balance surviving with thriving so I can start living again.

In therapy I learned the real impact life stressors had on my mind, body, and spirit. I was so used to my bottomless well of hopelessness and helplessness that I had to make choices to cope through each day, even if it wasn’t healthy. Once I stopped drowning, I had to restore a sense of safety within myself. Through counseling I was able to learn to love the parts of me that centered survival. This created room in my mind and body so that I don’t get flooded.

I am a marginalized person living in an oppressive world. I am an autistic transgender woman who was raised by anime characters on television and heroes in books too advanced for me to read. My approach to counseling is compassionate, direct, adaptive, and nurturing. I specialize in dissociation, with an aim to bring grace and understanding to all parts of ourselves.