Today we’d like to introduce you to Lindsay Sullivan.
Lindsay, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I am a psychotherapy (MFT Associate #92849 under the supervision of SC Nameth) located in Eagle Rock, Los Angeles. I moved to LA to get my graduate degree at Pacifica Graduate Institute from New York City in 2013, started seeing clients through Southern California Counseling Center in 2014, and opened up practice in my now beloved East Side of Los Angeles in 2016. For the better part of the last decade, I was a songwriter and full time yoga teacher living in Brooklyn. I loved teaching and learning about the body as well as working and thinking creatively, but after years of trying to make ends meet, I realized I wanted a more sustainable career path that allowed me to work with people directly and incorporate what I already knew about healing.
As a psychotherapist I study and am trained to work with trauma from a mind/body perspective through somatic modalities and EMDR. My years as an alignment based teacher taught me that connection between self-healing and personal embodiment are forever linked. Learning to listen to and integrate the signals in the body the same way one would be curious about a feeling or a thought is what moves me to keep learning and understanding how we heal in a holistic way. There is so much that the psychotherapy world has to offer these days that it feels like a really lucky moment to be learning and growing this field.
Working in Los Angeles also means that I get to see a diverse clientele that reflects the city that I live in. I see a lot creative clients, whether they are professional or personal lovers of the arts. I love to incorporate dream work or creative exploration of art and literature as a means of greater self-knowing. Sometimes what were are intuitively drawn to allows for an unexpectedly deep understanding of our wants and needs. It’s a fun way to work whether you identify as a creative or not!
These modalities work well with couples, individuals, and teens—in each instance we are looking to bring increased awareness, self-discovery, trauma recovery, and growth.
As much as I love my job as a psychotherapist, one of the perks is that I am able to continue my own personal creative endeavors. I still pursue writing, and physical body practices of all kinds as I establish myself in my career in Los Angeles. It is such a wonderful moment to be a part of this city’s growth and I often feel humbled by the stories people are willing to share and the ways in which they are ready to own their own personal processes of healing.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Becoming a therapist is a huge challenge! There are so many hurdles one has to jump in order to make it to the finish line—several years of graduate school (thesis writing!), years (3000 hours) as a trainee and intern, passing difficult exams, and starting your own small business! This doesn’t even include all of the personal self-work you need to do to heal yourself enough to be able to listen in a way that’s thoughtful and helpful to the individual (or couple!) in front of you. It’s a difficult road and one I would only recommend if you have a passion for this type of work. But I’ve learned so many incredible things, met so many compassionate interesting people, and have grown in ways I could have never expected. I am taking my final exam to become fully licensed in early 2018 and it will be a huge relief and excitement to have crossed that final finish line. I just started a new chapter of studying at PGI (Pacific Gestalt Institute) which goes to show that you never stop being a “learner” in this field.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
As a psychotherapist I see individuals, couples and teens in private practice. I specialize in trauma which means that I incorporate a mind/body perspective when working towards a healing treatment plan. I have studied somatic psychotherapy and was trained in the Trauma Resiliency Model which teaches that trauma is stored in the body and it is impossible to separate psychological disorders from physical symptoms. For instance, with anxiety, the heart often races or jaw is tight.
With depression you may feel aches and fatigue. Helping a client learn to track, ground, and self-regulate can be an incredibly important skill set. This can be integrated into a larger healing plan with a psychiatrist or other modalities or used on its own. I also will incorporate EMDR when appropriate, which I was trained in through Southern California Counseling Center’s trauma program.
In addition to the mind/body component, I work relationally and am training with the Pacific Gestalt Institute. This will look more conversational in the room and I love to invite clients to challenge anything I may say. The client is the expert on their life and it’s my job to be radically curious and to ask questions that help bring more self-awareness so they can ultimately make grounded and informed decision for themselves. I will often incorporate dreams, literature, or any other creative modalities as means of further exploration.
And I love working with couples! Exploring attachment patterning and getting to know how we get our needs met can be incredible work for couples at any stage. I work with all backgrounds and orientations and am most curious and interested in helping couples create a relationship that works for their own personal needs rather than outside expectations. In can be challenging but very rewarding work.
What were you like growing up?
I was an imaginative kid. I got called “sensitive” a lot but also had a decent sense of humor. I participated in a LOT of after school actives.
Contact Info:
- Address: 850 Colorado Blvd., Suite 203
Los Angeles, CA 90041 - Website: lindsaysullivantherapy.com
- Phone: 213-915-8156
- Email: [email protected]
Image Credit:
Sarah Lovrien
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