Angela L. Zapata, Ph.D.

My work with clients is compassionate, caring, empowering, and collaborative, blending solid academic and professional training with a strong intuitive ability. Therapy can help you to create the life that you want to live. To do this, we first create a safe space in which you and I can connect, and you can trust that you are valued and respected. I take into consideration a variety of factors, including cultural issues (including but not limited to your race, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, sexual identity, religion/spirituality, etc.), as well as your values, strengths, and hopes for the future. Together, we’ll identify the factors that are not contributing to your ability to thrive, being curious as to how these things developed, and recognizing patterns that have come about as an adaptation to struggles in your life. We can then work on creating change, which might include developing skills for better managing any unpleasant feelings or beliefs you hold, and perhaps learning new ways of interacting with others that feel more supportive to your authentic self. A holistic approach in therapy addresses not just you as the individual, but also looks at your relationships and the overarching environment in which you are living. As an agent for social justice, I can help you in discovering the environmental issues that are contributing to your overall life struggles, and help you consider any actions you may want to take to create change in those systems. I use various methods/approaches in my work, including being more accepting and non-judgmental of and compassionate toward yourself and your circumstances, use of empowerment through feminist/multicultural/social justice approaches, cognitive-behavioral techniques to alter unhelpful thought patterns, use of trauma-informed and sensitive care, interpersonal approaches, and mindfulness/other spiritual approaches as well. You can contact me for a free 15-minute phone consultation if you’d like to learn more about me and my approach to therapy, as well as for me to learn briefly more about your reasons for seeking therapy.