Alayne Richardson, LCSW

What was your path to becoming a therapist?

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In middle school, I was asked to become a peer counselor. While I enjoyed the experience, my path to becoming a therapist was still unclear to me at that point. However, what stayed with me is that transformation is possible through human connection, communication, respect, understanding, and compassion. These are the principles I bring to my work today and what ultimately led me to become a therapist specializing in trauma. My work has shown me the profound ability for the human spirit to overcome and foster resiliency. Still, humans are complex and there is no “one-size-fits-all” treatment. Though my education at NYU was more psychodynamic and focused on how past relationships/experiences impact us, I have since expanded into a more multi-disciplinary approach by completing various trainings, including those in cognitive behavioral therapy, internal family systems, risking connections, and body-focused therapies. This education ensures that I can adapt and provide care to my clients that is holistic and well-rounded.

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What should someone know about working with you?

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The beginning of therapy can often feel like sorting through puzzle pieces; we’re putting things together to start to create an overall picture. This allows us to understand what areas “fit” and what areas are not coming together yet. From there, we will work to create goals so that we can prioritize the issues that are most important to you. During our sessions, we work actively to create change, but therapy is only one hour out of the 168 hours in your week. This means that, for therapy to truly be impactful, we will also have to focus on how to integrate it into your daily life. I do not believe that people have to be in therapy for many years or that you can be okay only if you are in therapy. While the length of time depends on what you would like to work on, this work is meant to be temporary and transitional. The goal of therapy is to help you realize and achieve the life you have always hoped to have, ultimately feeling empowered to move forward on your own.

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How do your own core values shape your approach to therapy?

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I think that there can be an inherent belief that you go to therapy because there is something wrong with you and you need to be “fixed”. What if instead of “What is wrong with you?” the question became “What happened to you?” Reframing this allows for more compassion and understanding. It also takes into account context, recognizing that we are constantly adapting to the things around us and that how we manage feelings, form our thoughts and beliefs, and navigate relationships is a result of what we learned in the past and what we had to do to make it thorough. I will work with you to help heal from those past experiences and learn the necessary skills to move forward and have the future that you want and deserve. My promise to you is to always be honest, transparent, and genuine and my hope is that we laugh and celebrate the good, too. My goal is that, through our work together, you find your voice, get to know yourself, and — most importantly— have a positive relationship with yourself.