What we do
At Cultivate Counseling and Wellness LLC, our mission is to provide trauma-informed and multiculturally competent mental health services to the folx in our community. We strive to provide affirming, inclusive, and equitable therapeutic services to the diverse population of the Greater New Orleans area. As an organization, we pledge to actively engage and stay informed about the unique issues that face the communities we serve with specific focus on being actively anti-racist and consistent allies to the LGBTQIA+, Undocumented, and other marginalized communities.
Trauma-Informed Care
Being trauma informed in our treatment means that we always take into account how a client’s past traumas affect their day to day life. This can often manifest in feelings of anxiety, helplessness, and a sense that the world is not safe. These problems can be addressed in expressive talk therapy offered by our clinicians. If you are interested in taking a more active approach, we also offer EMDR. This form of therapy is specifically aimed at helping those suffering from the long–term effects of traumatic memories. It is one of the most evidence based techniques for processing these memories and establishing a sense of safety and wellbeing in the world.
Depression and Anxiety
Most people struggle with some form of depression and/or anxiety at some point in their life. We believe that depression and anxiety are normal reactions to the stressors of life. As clinicians, we have extensive experience working with these challenging emotions. We are prepared to sit with these emotions, provide support, and encourage a deeper understanding. This kind of processing will allow you to make necessary change and experience emotional growth.
Addictive Behaviors and Disordered Eating
Many people come to therapy to find support with addictive behaviors that are interfering with their happiness and relationships. These behaviors can also create considerable distress and be difficult to change, even when the person wants to stop. Addictive behaviors can come in many forms such as substance abuse, sex or love addiction, gambling, overspending, pornography, internet and video games, and disordered eating. We believe that addictive behaviors and disordered eating are not choices or moral failings, but treatable mental health issues. We have extensive experience working with addiction and eating disorders and are able to provide trauma-informed support to folks interested in abstinence or harm reduction approaches.
Relationship Counseling and Conflict Resolution
If you are considering starting therapy to improve your relationship, it may help to consider the many benefits of relationship counseling. Relationship counseling can help address underlying issues in the relationship. We believe that healthy and meaningful relationships exist across a spectrum and support both monogamous and polyamorous relationships. We work from trauma-informed, queer-affirmative, and polyamory-affirmative perspective. Common focuses in couple’s counseling are practicing new forms of communication, creating deeper emotional intimacy, improving sexual intimacy, healing from trauma, rebuilding trust, recovery from infidelity, reducing stress due to parenthood, coping with shared grief, and preparing for marriage or increased commitment. We also offer conflict resolution sessions where we can help you work with others to explore a specific disagreement, generate alternatives, and find a mutually satisfying solution.
Cultural Competency
We strive to understand the impact of a person’s cultural, sexual, and gender identity on their wellbeing. We view this through the lens of intersectionality and how each individual has a unique set of interlocking identities. The systems in which we live are often harmful to individuals (especially LGBTQ+ and BIPOC folks) based on those identities. We commit to always being open to discuss how these realities might impact your mental health. As a staff, we constantly pursue training to deepen our understanding of this issue and reflect on our privilege.